


Adventure Time

by vegetablebirb



Series: Tales of the West Kingdom [1]
Category: FFC-Acrush (Band), Fanxy Red (Band), QCYN2, youth with you 2, 青春有你2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Comedy, F/F, Hanyu - healer, Hu Wenxuan - Baker, Keran - guard/soldier, Lin Fan - mercenary, Lin Mo - mercenary, One-Sided Attraction, Quests, Romance, Shiyuan - healer, Sijian - seer, Slow Burn, Triple L Nation, Wenhan - crown prince, Yuxin - royal advisor, thirsty twitter thots begone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:35:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 23,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23746948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vegetablebirb/pseuds/vegetablebirb
Summary: Keran would like to think she fills a supporting role in a fantastical adventure story. Instead she finds herself starring as the protagonist of an unexpected romance. One guard, one mercenary, two mirrors, three tasks, several near-to-death encounters. The king is dead. The crown prince is frantic. And the quest begins.
Relationships: Lin Fan/Lu Keran
Series: Tales of the West Kingdom [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1710634
Comments: 14
Kudos: 54





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I'm in the mood for a good lesbian love story.  
> The thirst for thighs is real, but sometimes you want a slowburn.

_Once upon a time, there was a guard, crown prince, and a royal advisor. The three were as close as can be having grown up together. The West Kingdom flourished peacefully under the king’s rule. But growing tensions with the rulers of the sea (re: pirates) eventually began to tear into the stability of the land. Raids plagued the outskirts of the West Kingdom’s territory, soldiers mysteriously disappeared while out on patrol, and the sudden appearance of cursed serpents terrorized everyone as the king himself eventually fell victim to its venom._

It was around midnight when a frantic banging at the door of the guards' quarters interrupted Keran's nightly routine. The conversations and chatter between the other guards died down as they waited for Keran to answer it.

Before she even reached the door, it was flung open and the crown prince tumbled through. Immediately, all the guards stood at attention as Wenhan threw himself into Keran's arms. Keran's heart gave a jump; she knew something was terribly wrong.

She gently pulled the trembling prince out of the room (away from prying eyes) before asking, "Wenhan? What's wrong?"

"It- it's Yuxin. She got bitten by a serpent in the gardens tonight."

"One of the cursed serpents?" Keran asked, beginning to grow increasingly worried. Sightings of cursed serpents were rare, but the chances of surviving one of their bites was unheard of.

Wenhan nodded, "None of the healers' medicines are working. Sijian and Shiyuan have discussed possible solutions, and a quest may be involved."

Keran followed Wenhan through the castle, up several flights of stairs, and into the hospital wing. A quest...which meant she, as the head guard, would probably have to go.

But at a time like this? When the king had just passed away so suddenly, the kingdom was already in complete disarray, rushing to prep for Wenhan’s coronation? Now their highest ranked advisor was practically on her deathbed, Keran couldn’t imagine what Wenhan was going through.

Yuxin would perish though. It was like choosing between her two best friends. But did she really have a choice?

Yuxin was looking rough. The poor girl was passed out on the bed, covered with cold sweat, face looking pale as a sheet. If she ever saw her own hair in that state, Yuxin would have a fit.

It suddenly occurred to Keran that Yuxin might never wake up. The three of them would never have breakfast together again. Wenhan would never make fun of them for doing their makeup after training again. Yuxin would never call Keran an idiot again. And Keran would never be able to talk to her best friend ever again.

Keran’s heart tensed with fear.

The castle’s healer, Zhou Shiyuan, was busy inspecting two puncture wounds on Yuxin’s wrist when the two arrived. The holes on her arm were a dark purple color, almost black. The unnatural hue traced its way up the blood vessels in Yuxin’s arm, a terrifying sign that the venom was spreading.

“Anything?” Wenhan asked quietly, desperation tinging his voice.

Shiyuan shook his head regretfully. “The magic of the curse needs something just as powerful and ancient to combat it.”

The healer cast a glance towards Keran, “And it seems you already know what to do.”

Wenhan nodded gravely, “A quest. Keran, I don't trust anyone else to do this job. We can't lose Yuxin too.”

The guard looked down at the advisor’s fair face and gulped. Yuxin...she was dying. Keran knelt down next to the hospital bed and gently took the advisor's limp hand in her own, holding it close. It was cold. So cold.

But at the same time, there was a pulse. Faint, but steady. Like a word of comfort. She took a shuddering breath.

Keran's lips thinned with determination at what was to come. Yes, she was going to go no matter what. No matter how dangerous.

“If that is what my prince desires, I shall do it.” Keran tried to look away. Wenhan smiled grimly, both knowing they’d basically signed Keran up for a suicide mission.

Quests rarely went well. Most of them ended in someone dying (or seriously maimed). The head guard before Keran also went on a quest and...well, he wasn’t physically able to be head guard anymore. Keran would be lucky to get back in one piece.

The two of them left the room quietly, Wenhan leading them down the stairwell.

“Before you guys set out, stop by Lao Xia's office to stock up on potions. Oh! And we'll need to make a visit to Sijian's ‘lair’ to get more details about the quest.”

Wenhan was spewing words rapidly, a nervous habit of his.

“Wait, ‘you guys’? Who’s coming with?”

They came to a halt in front of Sijian’s room which was closed with heavy drapes instead of an actual door. If you didn’t know any better you could walk right past it, thinking it was a shuttered window. Just to Sijian’s tastes.

An unfamiliar face poked out from the curtains, effectively startling Keran.

“Sijian thought he heard you guys. Come on in,” the head said before retreating back behind the curtains.

Keran and Wenhan proceeded into the dimly lit space, the guard looking curiously after the newcomer. The first thing she noticed was that the guy was around her height, fit body, kind face which was rather cute (but not as cute as Yuxin’s, obviously).

She also noted that despite the harsh edge of a jawline and the short trimmed hair, her (potential) companion on this quest was a woman.

“This is Lin Fan, she’ll be accompanying you on your quest,” Wenhan introduced the woman standing next to him.

Keran furrowed her eyebrows and opened her mouth to protest that she was more than capable of going herself.

“Ah dup nuh uh,” the prince interjected. “I would actually like you to return in a non-vegetative state so please just work with me on this one.”

Keran gave the girl another once over, sizing her up rather than just checking her out.

“Don’t think I’ve seen you around before? You from the East Kingdom?”

The woman (Lin Fan, was it?) grinned broadly, pearly whites on full display, And Keran noted that she had a nice smile (not as nice as Yuxin’s though).

“I’m a mercenary in the area,” she replied.

Keran spun on Wenhan. “A mercenary? Are you insane?” She thought he would've just picked some other guard to go with her

“Perhaps, perhaps not. Either way, the spirits have spoken,” a flat voice answered from Keran’s left.

Keran grinned, temporarily forgetting her annoyance. “Sijian.”

Honestly, Keran had no clue what Sijian really did. But she had heard whispers in the villages that Sijian was one of the most powerful seers the kingdom had housed in the past few centuries. She was just grateful she had someone to horse around with in the little free time they had and occasionally have deep talks about life and aspirations during the hazy morning hours.

Sijian rubbed his hands together and cleared off that desk standing between some rickety looking bookshelves. It stirred up a cloud of dust causing all four of them coughed simultaneously.

“Let’s get started, shall we?” Sijian managed to wheeze out.


	2. The Seer Speaks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sijian has shares some info about the quest. Keran and Lin Fan begin their adventure together.  
> It will probably take some time getting used to one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhh the recent episodes have got me worried for my girls T-T  
> Hopefully they can stay in the top 35

_The seer has something to say._

Sijian hefted what looked like a large rock slab onto the empty table. The old wood gave a distressed moan at the new weight. Three crude pictures were carved onto the stone’s surface.

“This one calls for a blood ritual.”

Without further explanation, Sijian unsheathed the knife hanging from his belt and pricked the tip of his finger. He allowed a drop of blood to drip onto the tablet before spraying the digit with healing potion, putting a stop to the bleeding instantaneously.

The stone sucked in the drop of blood like a sponge soaking in water. Keran grimaced as Sijian passed the knife to her. She and the mercenary took turns mimicking the seer’s previous actions.

The blood ritual was complete and the quest could officially begin. Keran just had one question.

“What do the symbols mean?”

Sijian picked up the tablet with great difficulty and squinted at the scratches. And upon inspection: “Em..let's see shall we? This one looks like a troll. That one seems to be a cat...no, a fox. And the last one looks like a rope(?) tied around a rock. So your quest will be (drumroll please) fight a troll, kill a fox, and pull a rock with a rope.”

Lin Fan let out an impressed whistle, “Wow, you got all of that from one rock?”

Sijian let out an indignant squawk.

“Whoa whoa whoa. First of all, this isn’t just a rock. It’s a _tablet_. Second of all, my predictions are known to be a bit...off, so don’t take it word for word.”

“Sijian,” Wenhan said tiredly, “‘a bit off’ is being way too generous.”

The seer released a dramatic sigh, “Okay, so my predictions have never actually been right. But Wenhan, I’m telling you, one day-”

Sijian’s eyes suddenly rolled back into his head, his face going slack.

“And here it comes,” Wenhan said, not at all concerned with Sijian’s sudden change in behavior. He casually picked at his nail beds.

Lin Fan, on the other hand, was completely freaked. She encased the closest person to her with her octopus arms, clinging on for dear life.

“Yo, what the hell is he doing?” she whisper-shouted to Keran.

The guard couldn’t help the small smile that found its way onto her face. She replied, “Aw, don’t be scared. First time seeing a prophecy being made?”

Sijian’s mouth fell open, and he drooled a bit. Gross. A harsh staticky sound projected out. When he spoke, his voice was deeper and raspy; another being speaking through Sijian.

“The thing you are looking for...the path to it will be guarded by three tasks.”

He picked up the stone tablet with one hand and gestured vaguely to it.

“After you pass each task, you will acquire an item that will aid you in the next task. But beware, you will encounter clever beings that are centuries old. Do _not_ be careless.”

The seer turned this way and that, the milky whites appearing to consider the three standing in front of him. It was creepy as hell.

“Follow the lights,” the seer said simply, his voice less scratchy. He tossed the tablet back onto the table with a clatter. It responded with a splintering wheeze.

The connection was dissolving, so Keran quickly asked, “What lights?”

”JUST FOLLOW THE FXXXING LIGHTS!” the seer roared, his fists slamming down onto the table. The abused piece of furniture gave a light crack and collapsed. Sijian collapsed with it, the power slipping from his body.

Instead of catching the falling seer, the guard yelped and leaped back, ducking behind Lin Fan. The guard grinned.

“Who’s the princess now?”

There was a light groan from the floor and Sijian sat up with a slightly dazed expression fixed upon his face. He surveyed the room, taking in the demolished desk in front of him along with the terrified expression of Keran peeking over Lin Fan’s shoulder.

The seer scratched his head and winced, “So what did I miss?”

Keran looked dubiously at the motorcycle Lin Fan was perched upon.

“Hop on,” the mercenary hollered, revving the engine.

“You got a helmet for me, Lin Fan?” Keran asked, finally stepping up to the bike.

The mercenary got off the motorcycle and opened up the seat. She took out a clunky helmet and handed it to the guard, but did not put one on herself.

Keran’s forehead wrinkled, “What about yours?”

Lin Fan stuck her tongue out childishly, “Looks lame, Princess.”

Keran’s frown deepened and she popped open the seat of the motorcycle, pulling out another helmet.

“You know what isn’t lame?”

She jammed the helmet onto the mercenary’s head.

“Safety, Lin Fan. Safety is cool.”

Keran clipped her own helmet into place. “Let’s try not to die on this quest, yeah?”

She clambered onto the motorcycle clumsily behind the mercenary.

“Hold on tight,” Lin Fan said and they shot out of the palace gates.

Perhaps Keran screamed. But even if she did, she couldn’t hear it over the mercenary's excited hollering mixed in with the sputtering of the bike’s engine. Without a second thought, Keran’s arms naturally strung their way around the waist of the girl in front of her.

She never felt so vulnerable in her life. Keran felt as if any sense of pride she’d gained over the past few years of being a guard vanished in a few mere (terrifying) seconds. But dignity be fxxxed, there was no way Keran was loosening her grip while they were on this death trap.

“The lights” the seer had mentioned turned out to be little glowy balls littering a path away from the palace which could be seen by whoever was touching the stone tablet. The mercenary had taken care to strap the tablet to her body so that she could steer them in the correct direction.

The lights were a bit hard to see out in the open, but as they led the duo deeper into the forest, the ghostly glow grew more and more pronounced.

The pair finally stopped to set up camp in a small clearing after a few hours of travel. Keran left for a few minutes to collect some firewood, wanting to let Lin Fan have some rest. When she came back, she was speechless.

“Lin Fan,” Keran said slowly after surveying the mercenary dangling from a rope by her ankle five feet in the air.

The mercenary’s face was flushed. Be it from hanging upside down or embarrassment, it was hard to tell.

She awkwardly smiled, “Oh hi, Keran. I was...pretending to be a spider?”

“You’re a moron. An actual ditwit.”

Nevertheless, Keran clambered up the tree and cut her free. Lin Fan fell to the ground with an unceremonious thump and a pained groan.

“So...it would seem my traps don’t work very well.”

“What exactly were you trying to catch? We have food you know.”

The guard tossed her some bread Hanyu had packed for their provisions. The mercenary pouted and took a bite.

“I just thought maybe it might come in handy when we battle the guardians during the quest.”

She polished off the rest of her bread and fished around in her bag for a bit before emerging with a lighter and a pack of cigarettes.

“You smoke?” Keran asked curiously.

Not that she meant to judge, but the mercenary had a face that seemed too innocent, too kind to be associated with the act of smoking.

“No not really. All the other guys do though so I figured I would pick up the habit sooner or later. Plus, I smoke when I think,” the mercenary awkwardly mumbled around the cigarette poised in her mouth.

Keran rolled his eyes.

“Give me that.”

The mercenary passed her the smoking cigarette, thinking Keran wanted to take a drag. Instead, the guard flicked it into the campfire.

“Hey!”

“Don’t smoke, it’s bad for you,” Keran replied flatly.

Lin Fan sidled up next to the guard and grinned. Keran did her best not to look her in the eye. The guard was again struck by how nice the mercenary’s smile was. It was a welcome but odd feeling as most people didn’t smile at Keran, either terrified of her rank or disapproval at her young age.

Why was she sweating all of the sudden? They must’ve built the fire too big.

“Awww, are you worried about my wellbeing, Princess?” And like a bucket of cold water, dousing the warmth away.

Keran took another bite of the bread and continued to chew wordlessly, not wanting to say something foolish.

When the atmosphere had become sufficiently awkward, Keran held out her hand once more.

“Give me your lighter,” she said.

Lin Fan handed it over without protesting, still smiling. “Why do you want it?”

“So I can make sure you’re not smoking,” Keran replied, pocketing the lighter. Good gods, what was she doing? Playing mother?

Feeling even more awkward, she began to rifle through her bag as well, trying to look purposeful before her hand emerged with a comb.

Keran’s hand gripped the familiar, ornate side and dragged the comb through her short hair. There was a snort of laughter.

The guard shot a dry look towards Lin Fan.

“Problem?”

“Sorry, but you get onto me for smoking while you’re dolling yourself up when we’re out roughing the wilderness on a quest?”

Keran narrowed her eyes, “Smoking kills you. Combing your hair is a matter of personal hygiene and self dignity.”

Lin Fan pursed her lips and the guard could tell she was trying her hardest not to laugh. Keran felt the urge to throw something at her.

“Well, I never brush my hair,” the mercenary said with great pride. “That’s the wonderful thing about short hair.”

“You ought to try it sometime, it’s quite soothing.”

Lin Fan snorted, “Even if I wanted to, I’ve never owned a comb in my entire life.”

It was this statement that made Keran pause. The guard felt a twinge in her heart; she’d heard that the living conditions of the mercenaries wasn’t exactly the most pleasant. Could this be because she’d lived with the other mercenaries (who were mostly men) for such a long time?

Lin Fan nearly jumped a mile in the air when Keran pressed the comb to the back of her head. The mercenary swore under her breath.

“Hold still.”

The guard’s voice was gentle, a slight difference to the flat tone she had talked in so far. Lin Fan obeyed, allowing Keran to run the comb through her hair.

It occurred to Keran that no one else had ever used this comb before. The intimacy of combing this near stranger’s hair suddenly struck Keran. Especially since it was this comb. Her special comb. The one - nevermind. This was weird. She should stop.

And so Keran pulled away.

“I guess you were right.”

The guard blinked. “Huh?”

Lin Fan turned around and smiled at Keran.

“About combing your hair. It is soothing.”

The mercenary smiled wider.

“Or maybe it just felt nice since you were the one doing it, Princess.”

The blood rushed to Keran’s face. What the hell. Whatthehellwhatthehellwhatthehell. She hastily turned away to stuff the comb back in her bag.

And the rest of the night was quiet, save for some quarrelsome owls hooting in the distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To h: my first comment. Thank you so much for your kind words. I've taken the liberty of editing/collecting some concept pictures for some of the side characters introduced so far.  
> [Concept Pics](https://twitter.com/vegetablebirb/status/1261108520113537025?s=20)


	3. Memory Log #1 - The Comb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _A few years ago..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Memory logs don't contribute much to the actual plot of the story and are more for background coverage of the character.  
> These short snippets into the past or casual asides will be published between the main chapters

Keran rubbed her sleepy eyes, wondering why the hell they were up at this ungodly hour in the morning. Yuxin had pulled her out of bed and towards the observatory at the a$$crack of dawn for god knows what reasons. On her birthday nonetheless.

“Ugh, why are we up so early? Wenhan said I don’t have training today.”

They were sitting on the ledge of the window, Keran letting her gangly legs dangle out in the open air while Yuxin had hers pulled up to her chest.

In the dim light, Keran could barely make out the upwards twitch at the corners of Yuxin’s mouth, which was her way of smiling. “I know, I just wanted to give you this before everyone else woke up.”

She handed Keran a small, wrapped package.

“It’s a bit hard to top Wenhan’s gift, but I tried my best.”

This Keran could confirm. Wenhan had given her a new gun a week before when she was promoted to head guard. It was a gorgeous (and very expensive) pistol, and Keran was embarrassed to say she might’ve gotten a bit teary eyed at the gesture.

“Our safety is now in your hands,” he had said with a wink, “But it’s still important to keep yourself safe too.”

Yuxin scratched the back of her head sheepishly as she watched Keran carefully unwrap the mystery item.

It was a comb.

More accurately, it was the most beautiful comb Keran had ever laid eyes on. It was unlike any comb she’d ever seen. The comb was carved out of dark wood and the ornate edge was inlaid with mother-of-pearl flowers and leaves with a few red accents.

“You’re a grown woman now, idiot. I can’t always do your hair for you anymore.”

Keran grins shyly, remembering all the times Yuxin brushed her hair when they were younger and were still sporting long locks. When she decided she wanted to wear her hair short, Yuxin had been the one to take up the scissors and trim her hair (against the wishes of their tutors who deemed it ‘unfit for a young lady’).

“It’s perfect. I love it.” She turned towards her friend. “Thank you.”

The sun was just beginning to wake from its slumber, so it was difficult to see the other woman’s features. Keran could just make out the silhouette of Yuxin’s angular face and the perfect slope of her nose. She could imagine her caring and soulful eyes, as well as the neat trim of her hair she worked so hard to keep in place with laughable amounts of product.

“I’m glad,” was Yuxin’s simple reply. The advisor scooted closer so they were sitting side-by-side and slung an arm around Keran’s shoulder.

As they watched the sun peek its way over the horizon, Keran could feel the steady beat of Yuxin’s heart where she was leaning against the guard’s shoulder. Out of sync with her own heart, which was dancing furiously like a caged bird wanting escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up, there's an Idol Producer/QCYN fic fest going on right now. If you have an idea you really want to see become a fic or have a ship you want to read about, prompting is currently open:  
> [Prompting Form](https://twitter.com/cloud9ficfest/status/1254787865000591360?s=20)


	4. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1st Task)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The guard grows to trust her new partner as they encounter their first task._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just some context, this is the type of stone lion the story refers to:  
> [Stone Lion](https://previews.123rf.com/images/igorspb/igorspb1605/igorspb160500031/56797105-ancient-chinese-stone-lion-symbol-of-protection-power-in-oriental-asia-especially-china-at-the-gate-.jpg)  
> They are typically viewed as guardians, which I thought was quite appropriate.  
> . . .  
> Also Lin Fan really went from sobbing how she can't shake it  
> To throwing it back with a smirk.

The party of two took turns sleeping while the other kept watch. After a few hours of rest, they were ready to hit the road again. The lights lead them to an eerily isolated cottage atop a hill in a clearing. Steam wafted drearily from the chimney.

Keran held the stone tablet up to where the family crest hung from the front door. The crude scratches displayed on the side of the house matched Sijian’s predicted troll on the tablet.

The guard looked at the mercenary. The mercenary stared back. Both were very nervous.

Keran raised a hand and knocked thrice. Both waited, holding their breaths.

The door flew open with a bang making them both flinch, revealing a stout woman with a rather disagreeable expression upon her face.

“What do you want?” she demanded.

Keran scratched the back of her neck and held up the tablet, hoping it would be of some sort of explanation. The woman slammed the door shut in response.

The mercenary shot Keran a look, as if to say _that’s all you got?_

Keran glared back. _See if you can do better._

They knocked again. Thrice.

The door swung open. “Can’t a woman get some sleep?” the woman grouched.

“It’s almost noon,” Keran shot back.

“Ever heard of a nap?” The woman rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Now, what can I do to get these two annoying little girls to leave me be?”

A muscle twitched on Keran’s forehead. This did not escape the mercenary’s notice and Lin Fan quickly stepped forward with a winning smile before the guard had a chance to retort back.

“We’re on a quest and our map of sorts has led us here. And we were hoping to seek your guidance in finding whatever was left by the ancient to help us along.”

Keran had a hard time keeping her jaw off the floor. Who knew the mercenary was so eloquent, so charismatic? The woman’s expression remained rather unimpressed, but her eyes glinted mischievously.

“Ah, so you guys are after it? Gotta say, you’re a whole lot scrawnier than the last bunch who showed. And that was about…” she tapped her chin thoughtfully, “Two centuries ago?”

The mercenary choked, “Two centuries?”

The woman scowled, “I get it, I’m _old_.”

She sniffed, “One of you, preferably the rude one, go fetch me a handful of herbs from the witch’s garden yonder.”

She pointed to another cottage sitting directly downhill.

Keran rubbed her head irritably and asked, “Okay Lin Fan, what do you say?”

The mercenary puffed up her chest. “Leave it to me.”

“Hell no. We go together.”

The woman cleared her throat. “Ehem, I believe I said _one_ of you. If you both go, one will surely get killed.”

The mercenary patted the guard’s shoulder and grimly said, “Trust me, I got this.”

“Trust you, are you kidding me? You’re a complete idiot!”

“Ugh, just that one time! I swear, if I mess this up, I won’t interfere next time!”

“If you mess up this time, there won’t be a next time, you moron!”

“Just admit it.”

“Admit what?”

“That you’re doing this to protect me, Princess. Because you care soooooo much about me.”

“Will you quit playing around?”

“That depends. Will you stop being so serious?”

“This _is_ serious, Lin Fan. You could literally die!”

“Aye Princess, that’s why there’s two of us. If one of us dies, then the other can continue the quest.”

“Oh. My. God.”

“Let’s just rock-paper-scissors then,” the mercenary suggested.

And Keran reluctantly gave in with an exasperated sigh.

She lost.

Keran was not good at distracting herself. The rude old lady had slammed the door shut as soon as the mercenary had left. Plus, Keran’s mood further soured at the thought of making small talk with her.

So she just stayed put on the front porch. After a few minutes had idly passed, Keran looked around to make sure she was alone before she dug a small, silver pocket mirror out of her bag.

This was the last thing Sijian had given her before they left. “We’ll be able to talk, if you really want to, with this,” the seer had said as he handed over the mirror.

The guard opened the mirror and her own puzzled face peered back up at her. How did Sijian say this worked again? The surface of the mirror glowed lightly and then rippled, distorting Keran’s reflection until-

“Sijian?” Keran asked incredulously, hardly believing her eyes.

The seer’s back straightened, apparently hearing Keran, but unable to see her. He rifled through the drawer of his desk and found a similar hand-mirror, this one gold. The view in the mirror suddenly shifted so that Keran was facing Sijian directly.

“Hey Keran,” the seer said with a light yawn.

“How is this even happening?” Keran asked, referring to the mirror contact they were having.

“I don’t know,” was his simple reply. “Magic, I guess. Found them in the archives, thought it might be useful.”

“By the way, I thought you wouldn’t try to contact me so soon. It’s been, what? A day?”

Keran rolled her eyes and quickly reccounted what had happened so far.

“Wait, so you just let Lin Fan go by herself?” Sijian asked when Keran was finished.

Keran shrugged, “It’s not like I wanted to. I hope she hasn’t gotten herself killed.”

Great, the whole point of this was to make her stop worrying. But now all she could think of was the dumb idiot.

The mirror glowed again and Sijian’s image rippled, fading away to show the mercenary walking through the dark.

“Lin Fan!” Keran yelled.

No response. Keran must’ve only been able to communicate with Sijian through the matching mirror.

The mercenary arrived at the witch’s cottage, which looked remarkably similar to one the guard was currently at. The only difference was the presence of a large, stone lion dutifully standing by the front door. Keran watched with rapt attention as Lin Fan knocked.

“What do you want?” a hostile, feminine voice called out from behind the closed door.

The mercenary shifted nervously in place.

“Nevermind, that loser over yonder must’ve sent you.”

The door swung open just a crack, and a shriveled hand extended a piece of paper out to Lin Fan. It was a drawing of a leaf.

“That’s the one you want, sonny. Help yourself out back. But watch out for the lion.” And the door slammed shut.

The mercenary’s brow wrinkled in confusion.

“What lion?”

A low, rumbling growl answered her and Keran watched in horror as the stone lion by the door shuddered, loud sounds of rocks striking one another like joints popping after a long period of disuse.

Lin Fan made a mad dash for the garden and began to clamber up the stone wall, completely ignoring the wooden doors at ground level.

The stone lion sprung to life and snapped at her heels as the mercenary threw herself over the barrier into the garden. Keran could hear the lion beginning to paw at the wooden doors and prayed Lin Fan had something up her sleeve.

“Oh no,” the guard groaned as she watched the mercenary pull a coil of rope out of her bag and began to quickly set up a trap.

“Ohmygodohmygodohmygod. Lin Fan! You idiot! She’s going to get herself killed.”

The mercenary sloppily finished tying the ropes to a wooden pole at the center of the garden (for some sort of irrigation system maybe?) and peered around the garden for a hiding spot.

By this time, the lion could be heard throwing its stone body violently against the doors and the frightful sound of wood beginning to splinter.

There! Up against the wall of the garden; a small tool shed. Lin Fan ran over and yanked open the door. Inside was a variety of gardening outfits of ghastly prints and colors. But the mercenary paid this no mind as she crammed her long body into the confines of the odd wardrobe and noisily shut the door.

The lion burst into the garden. Now Keran knew why the woman insisted only one could go; it would’ve been physically impossible for both her and the mercenary to fit in the toolshed together, and there were no other hiding spots in the tiny garden either. One of them would’ve been killed.

The lion's heavy footsteps pounded closer and closer to the tool shed, but the creature paused to sniff curiously at the trap. There was the telltale zip of the trap being tripped and a surprised yowl from the lion as it was hauled into the air by the surprisingly sturdy ropes.

“Holysh!tholysh!tholysh!t,” Lin Fan repeated like a mantra as she slipped out of the tool shed and past the stone lion who was being dangled in the air.

The lion gave an aggressive snarl and took a swing at the mercenary. She yelped as the lion’s claws grated into her arm. The wooden pole groaned in protest as the lion swung to-and-fro.

With one hand over her bleeding wounds, Lin Fan danced around the rows of greenery for half of a nerve wracking minute. She finally spotted the leaves that matched the witch’s drawing and aggressively yanked up a handful of the glowing herbs from the ground.

The mercenary scampered out the demolished entrance of the garden. There was a distinct sound of the wooden pole snapping and the stone lion falling to the ground with a loud thud.

Keran put the mirror away and let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Lin Fan came huffing and puffing back up the hill soon after.

“I got it,” she panted and shoved a few leaves into Keran’s hand.

“Great, let’s get these to-” Keran turned around and stopped. The cottage was gone; completely vanished. The rude woman was nowhere in sight either. Good riddance.

“What the hell?” the mercenary said, sweat dripping off her face.

There was suddenly a soft “pop” and a tall woman appeared before the duo.

“You ruined my garden,” was the first thing she said flatly before Keran could even process what was happening. She was wearing a rice hat with a dark veil dropping over the sides, obscuring her face. Mysterious, but the look was completely ruined by gardening outfit she was donning (which was more horrendously colored than any of the clothes they had seen in the toolshed).

Lin Fan opened and closed his mouth a few times before sputtering out, “S-sorry.”

She bowed to the woman, who nodded her approval of Lin Fan’s apology.

“I gotta hand it to you though, most of the other guys don’t make it past the porch.”

“Wait! You’re the witch?” Keran finally found her voice again and she fumbled for her pistol.

The mercenary elbowed her. “You can’t just say that to people,” Lin Fan hissed.

The woman shrugged and brushed a few leaves off her loudly colored pants.

“That’s me, and don’t sweat it kid. My garden gets torn up every other century; I was just messing with you.”

Downhill, the stone lion roared faintly and stomped all over the tidy rows of vegetables. The witch sighed.

“Hold up,” Lin Fan said. “I have so many questions. First of all, if you’re the witch, what was that gnarly looking hand I saw earlier?”

Keran glanced at the witch’s hands. They were pale, smooth, and surprisingly clean. Her nails were neatly painted a refreshing green that matched the color of a fresh salad.

They saw the faint outline of the witch’s mouth turn up in a grin under her veil as she flexed her left hand, which promptly turned into the shriveled hand that had answered the door to the witch’s house. The mercenary crossed her arms, looking mildly impressed.

“Okay, what did you do with the rude old lady then?” Keran inquired.

There was a pop and the witch transformed into the stout woman. “Who you calling rude?”

Keran smiled sheepishly and held up the leaves the mercenary had almost died for.

“So do you still need these or…”

The witch transformed back to her original form and shook her head.

“Those are for you to keep and use on your next quest. Not quite sure what it’ll be, but dangerous I’d assume, since those herbs are for medicinal purposes.”

The witch peeked at a nonexistent watch on her wrist.

“Well it looks like it’s time for me to head back.”

“Back to what?” Lin Fan asked.

“Back to waiting for the next round of idiots to come destroy my garden.”

She left them with a decisive “pop.”

“Well ain’t she a charmer?” the mercenary said sarcastically.

“Are you alright, Lin Fan?” Keran asked. The mercenary’s face was a bit pale and she was still holding a hand over her bleeding wounds. Streams of crimson tracked their way down her arm.

“Here, I can take care of that for you.”

Keran pulled out some of the medical supplies the doc and Hanyu gave them. The guard silently drenched a clean cloth with healing potion and gently covered the mercenary’s cuts with it. The cloth steamed slightly and when Keran lifted the cloth, the cuts had disappeared. She then carefully wiped the drying blood from Lin Fan's arm.

"Good as new."

The mercenary prodded the healed skin.

“Neat.”

Keran handed Lin Fan one of the bottles of healing potions.

“Maybe you should hold onto one of them.”

The mercenary’s hands, still slick with her own blood, fumbled with the bottle clumsily. And the duo watched the bottle slip from the mercenary’s hands and, as if in slow motion, shatter upon contact with the unforgiving ground below.

Silent disbelief followed.

Then, “Yeah I think you should just hold onto the potions, Princess.”

Keran laughed, the entire day’s worth of tension draining out of her. And the mercenary laughed with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up, there might not be an update for the next 2 weeks since it's final season.  
> I promise I am not leaving this story to dangle. The action's just getting started!


	5. Memory Log #2 - Doe Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Lin Fan's state of mind._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Lin Fan got e-worded...

Lin Fan knew she was supposed to be taking this quest seriously. And she was! But who could blame her for making eyes at the guard. Lu Keran was one mighty fine work of art.

Normally, she wouldn’t have volunteered herself to get the herbs since she was super...uncoordinated. But Lin Fan completely made a fool of herself in front of the guard with the whole dangling-from-tree situation the other day. She desperately needed to regain her dignity.

So she may have teased Keran a bit, insisting on going herself. But in actuality, Lin Fan was fully prepared to let the guard have at it. She _always_ lost at rock-paper-scissors at Lin Mo’s base. 

Who knew this would be the one time she actually won. At least the guard wasn’t there to witness her run from the stupid lion like the scaredy-cat she was.

Lin Fan didn’t know what she was doing half of the time and was surprised (and blessed) she made it out of there alive. Although her arm got a bit dinged up (which hurt like a b!tch), being injured was not without its perks.

Keran had treated the mercenary’s wounds with healing potion, her brows furrowed with concern as she laid the cloth over Lin Fan’s arms. 

She cares about you, a voice sing-songed in the back of Lin Fan’s head. The thought bounced around several times making itself known to the various corners of the mercenary’s mind. It was a good day.

Then Lin Fan, being herself, dropped the bottle of medicine (an entire bottle wasted!). There was a scary moment of silence, and Lin Fan feared she'd lost the guard’s good graces again. (Life was just a never ending tragedy.)

But then Keran laughed (much to Lin Fan’s relief) and the mercenary’s own giggles joined hers. The guard had a comically gooselike laugh and an even more adorable smile to match it. Lin Fan felt faint at the sight of the guard’s snaggletooth on full display. And her dimples, (god, she had dimples) Lin Fan would happily drown herself in those dimples.

They quickly packed up their stuff and decided to head to civilization to replenish their supplies.

Lin Fan pulled out Keran’s helmet and fitted it over the guard’s head. She carefully clipped the chin strap in place.

“Let’s go.”

“Wait.”

Keran found the other helmet. Lin Fan whined saying it was unfashionable, refused to wear it.

But the guard wasn’t taking no for an answer and wrestled the thing onto the mercenary’s head without much difficulty (Lin Fan hadn’t tried too hard to resist). Lin Fan pouted as Keran reached a hand up to smooth the hair out of the mercenary’s line of sight.

She was smiling again. And Lin Fan was pathetically captivated.

Then, the guard whacked the side of Lin Fan’s helmet just for the heck of it (though she claimed it was a check for durability). The mercenary stumbled back with surprise, the sound of the blow echoing inside the head casing.

Lin Fan scowled and swung herself onto the bike without another word. She could hear the guard’s muffled giggles as she clambered on behind the mercenary.

The motorcycle revved, and they were off.

Lin Fan purposefully accelerated and felt Keran’s arms snake their way securely around her waist. The mercenary was glad the guard couldn’t see the sh!t-eating grin currently spreading itself across her own face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Claiming for the fic fest opens this weekend i'm hyped!


	6. Bakery Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Sometimes you just gotta stop to smell the bread_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on Twitter now [@vegetablebirb](https://twitter.com/vegetablebirb)  
> Concept pics will be posted there from now on and I also hope to share spoilers/bounce ideas on there in the future as well.  
> (come chat with me haha)

Keran sighed with content as she slumped into a chair, blessed to have something to sit on that wasn’t the dirty ground or the hard motorcycle seat (which was clearly only meant for one).

Lin Fan had said there was an ally living in the nearest town where they could crash for the night. Plus, they needed to get gas for the bike and restock their provisions.

Hu Wenxuan was the owner of the bakery Lin Fan had led them to. He wore a mischievous smirk that made Keran subconsciously tighten her grip around her bag. A dark tattoo of a scorpion was poised on his wrist, contrasting heavily with the smears of white flour up and down his lean arms. The baker welcomed the weary travellers inside and chatted briefly with Lin Fan about someone named Lin Mo.

It was already late in the afternoon when the duo arrived, so Wenxuan closed shop early to run some errands and told them to help themselves to the leftovers in the display cases.

Lin Fan stacked a tower of various pastries and placed the plate before Keran. The mercenary dropped herself into the chair across from the guard and the two began to stuff their faces.

“You got a little something here,” Lin Fan said, pointing to her chin.

Keran wiped carelessly, smearing the tiny spot of chocolate into a massive smudge across her own face. Lin Fan grimaced at the sight.

“Here,” she grabbed a napkin and held Keran’s chin in place. Lin Fan wiped the pastry’s residue off the squirming guard’s face.

At this angle, Lin Fan could clearly see Keran’s delicate features in the light of the setting sun coming through the window. Lin Fan hoped her gaze wasn’t too obvious, the way it took in Keran’s beauty, first from afar then zooming in closer to focus on the details.

Her face was small in the mercenary’s hands, her full lips slightly pouted from Lin Fan’s grip on her chin, and the mole directly centered under her bottom lip.

Lin Fan gulped, her brain a fantastically useless slush.

“You know, they say girls get food on their faces for attention.” What the hell. Did those words really just come out of her mouth? Mortification trickled its way down the mercenary’s back.

“Geez,” Keran groaned with an expert eye-roll.

She pushed the mercenary’s face away with one hand and crammed a croissant into her mouth with the other. “Can’t a girl eat in peace?”

There was a moment of obnoxious chewing.

Then, “so who’s Lin Mo?”

“Did you know,” Lin Fan replied with her own question, “I wasn’t even supposed to come on this quest at first?”

Keran tilted her head in curiosity. “What do you mean?”

“Lin Mo, he’s the guy in charge of us, was actually the one the crown prince sent for.” Lin Fan brushed some crumbs off of her shirt. “But I was the one left in charge at the time, so it was decided I would take Lin Mo’s place.”

Keran whistled, “Who knew? A fool like you being a leader?”

Lin Fan’s eyes widened exponentially, “Of course. I was ranked second!” She stuck two fingers in front of Keran’s face, just to emphasize her point. “Only second to Lin Mo!”

She deflated slightly, like a sad balloon. “My speciality was diplomacy though. I was never really good in the field.”

Well that certainly explained a lot.

“A few of the other higher ranks...they pushed me to take this quest just to see me fail.”

“Fail?” Keran asked incredulously.

“Yeah, I bet most of them would love to see me die or go back having failed so they can discredit and push me to the lower ranks. They want to take over while Lin Mo is inactive.”

“But why? Lin Mo clearly entrusted you with the mercenary circuit.”

“Some of them don’t share the same beliefs as Lin Mo. What business does a girl have leading a group of men, right?”

Ah. This was something Keran could relate to.

“So why is Lin Mo inactive? Is he away travelling or something?”

Lin Fan winced at this.

“Ah no. He’s in a coma.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, took one to the head while fighting raiders one day. Hasn’t woken since.”

“Is there anything to help him? Maybe we can talk to Shiyuan when we get back.”

Lin Fan smiled. But it was nothing like the ordinary youthful and excitable grin she normally gave Keran. This one was tired, and slightly hopeless.

“Shiyuan already has been around our base several times. Wenhan’s quite close with Lin Mo, you know?”

Well _now_ Keran knew. She was going to need to have a good talk with her friend when they got back. There were so many questions to be asked.

“What about you?”

Keran blinked out of her thoughts.

“What about me?”

“How did you become head guard?”

Keran chuckled and inhaled an eclair.

“I’m actually the exact opposite of you. Good in the field and tragically bad at diplomacy. At first the king hoped that I could travel around with Wenhan as both a diplomat and bodyguard, and arranged for me to be trained as such.”

Another croissant.

“But the tutors said I was too temperamental, couldn’t get used to the stupid royal customs. Plus, when Yuxin arrived, she was a better fit for the job anyways. So I was to be head guard instead.”

Yuxin. How was she doing? Keran frowned down at the macaroon she was pulling apart in her hands. And was silent after.

Yuxin wasn’t doing well. The curse had traveled all the way up her arm and was beginning to slowly inch its way up her neck.

Keran gripped the small mirror, wishing she could reach through and take the advisor’s black veined hand in hers, just to reassure herself Yuxin wasn’t slipping away too far.

“Whatcha looking at, Princess?”

Keran startled and fumbled the mirror, it slipped from her grasp. Another hand extended out and caught it before the mirror had the chance to smash itself to smithereens.

Lin Fan tsked as she handed the mirror back to Keran. “I never thought you’d be one for vanity, but I suppose I should’ve known when you pulled out that dumb comb the other night.”

Keran scowled, “Hey. You were the one who said you enjoyed the dumb comb.”

The guard sighed and popped the mirror back open, polishing the surface with the sleeve of her shirt. “Besides, I wasn’t checking myself out. Sijian gave me this magic mirror that lets you see others.”

This perked Lin Fan’s interest and she plopped herself down next to Keran on the front steps to the bakery.

“Really? Can I try?”

Keran passed her the mirror.

“What do I do?”

The guard shrugged, “Nothing really, whoever comes to your mind will just show up in the mirror.”

Lin Fan’s eyes widened at whatever the mirror was showing her.

Keran tugged on the mercenary’s wrist, wanting to peek at who she was looking at in the mirror. She caught a murky glimpse of her own reflection before the jostling image in the mirror stilled to reveal a young man laying on a small bed.

The room was dimly lit. He was simply laying there, still as a board, expression fixed in one of utter peace.

“Lin Mo?” Keran asked quietly, as if not to disturb the unconscious man.

Lin Fan nodded and then sighed. “Why do the people we look at are all just lying there?”

Huh. It was kind of funny how both of their friends were basically on their deathbeds. Only Keran was on a quest to save her friend while Lin Fan could do nothing to help hers. Perhaps this is what they called fate.

Lin Fan snapped the pocket mirror shut decisively.

“Anyways, can you comb my hair again?”

Keran scoffed, “How about you comb mine?”

“Okay!”

Before Keran could protest that she hadn’t been serious, the mercenary had already swiped her bag and was eagerly rifling through it for the comb.

“Hey-”

“Found it!”

The mercenary shuffled around to sit behind Keran.

Lin Fan’s hand was clumsy. She pressed the comb a bit too roughly, trying to mimic Keran’s actions from the previous night. Keran winced at the teeth digging into her scalp, but said nothing. The mercenary noticed the guard’s hand tense in her lap, and tried to comb more gently.

Keran’s hands relaxed. Lin Fan took that as a good sign and kept brushing, slowly getting a grasp on the proper movements. She felt enraptured by the way the guard’s inky black strands flowed and faded into the motions of the comb which was just as dark. The lustrous decor on the body of the comb glinted against its black on black backdrop, winking up at Lin Fan like a personal galaxy for her eyes only.

It was hard to say how much time had passed. Keran’s form gradually drooped more and more until she suddenly slumped back against Lin Fan. She had fallen asleep.

The mercenary smiled, and scooped the guard’s lithe figure into her arms. Or rather, she tried to. But Keran seemed to be 90% leg that was 110% lean muscle, a misproportion made Lin Fan’s left arm scream in protest.

Lin Fan struggled to stand without waking the slumbering woman up. She took a small step forward and nearly tripped. Keran slept on peacefully.

The mercenary decided the princess carry she was currently holding the guard in would not do. She shifted Keran so she had the guard partially slung across her back. Like a sack of potatoes. Super romantic. But it wasn’t like Keran was awake to judge anyways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Claims for the fic fest open tomorrow and I've got my eye on a Yu Yan prompt.  
> Sad boi news though, updates might slow down from now on with this new project going  
> But rest assured, I will definitely finish this fic (I already have a happy ending planned out)  
> Also, in case you want to see [what Keran's comb looks like](https://twitter.com/vegetablebirb/status/1261519363577982979?s=20)...


	7. Memory Log #3 - Mirror Mirror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Mirror mirror in my hand_   
>  _Tell me where my feelings stand_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a small memory log today.  
> No worries though, a long chapter is coming

Lin Fan thought the guard was pulling her leg when she said the mirror was magic. But then Keran just handed it over to let Lin Fan see for herself.

The mercenary smiled brightly down at her reflection. Nothing happened for a few seconds. Maybe Keran was just messing with her.

Then the image in the mirror rippled, Lin Fan’s face swirling away until she was left staring at the guard’s face. In the mirror.

Lin Fan squinted down just to make sure it was Keran. Yup, there was that cute mole she had under her lip. The mercenary watched with fascination as Mirror Keran leaned over to reach for something and nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt the guard’s hand close around her own wrist.

Sh!t. Think of someone else. Anyone but Keran. Fxxx. Who? Lin Mo?

Lin Fan thought of her leader as hard as she could. The mirror’s image fluctuated and changed to a view of Lin Mo’s room just as Keran took a peek at the pocket mirror.

The mercenary let out a subtle sigh of relief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ([Twitter](https://twitter.com/vegetablebirb))


	8. A Millennium (2nd Task)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Sijian was right._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have you seen? Lin. Fan. airport. pics.  
> She looks so cute ahhhhhhhh!

Keran and Lin Fan loitered around the bakery the next morning until Wenxuan opened for the day. They took the ridiculous amount of provisions the baker insisted on packing for them and set out once more.

The pair rode on for nearly the entire day, the trail of lights leading them to a hotel at the outskirts of another town. The sun had already gone down and a neon sign flashed aggressively above the entrance read “The Fox Den.”

The hotel seemed to thrum with activity, bright and colorful lights cutting through the glass of the entrance doors. Lin Fan compared the markings of the tablet to the engravings on the door knob.

It was a match.

“Well, I guess this is it then,” Lin Fan said and pulled the door open.

She held it for Keran, “After you, Princess.”

The duo walked into a nightclub (or so it appeared). People were everywhere; drinking at the bar, dancing out on the floor, leaning against the wall smoking. The front desk was nowhere in sight.

Keran took a few tentative steps forward to peek over the herds of people for some sort of clue as to what their task would be this time. Someone bumped into her, causing the guard to stumble and immediately be swallowed by the crowd.

A few minutes passed and Keran was low key panicking. She had lost Lin Fan in the thick mass. After roughly shoving through a few couples grinding it out and getting flipped a bird, Keran found Lin Fan seated at the bar.

A scantily clad woman sat on one side of the mercenary, draping herself unabashedly over Lin Fan’s shoulder. A pretty man was perched on the other side of Lin Fan, offering her a drink. Lin Fan smiled awkwardly, hands folded with uncharacteristic primness in her lap.

Keran almost lost her composure at the expression on Lin Fan’s face. The mercenary looked, for lack of better words, very out of her comfort zone. It was hilarious.

The mercenary squirmed in her seat, shrinking back as the woman tried to stroke her cheek. Keran slid herself in smoothly between the mercenary and the man (who had given up and was downing the drink himself).

Keran smiled and threw an arm around Lin Fan, shoving the woman’s head off the mercenary’s shoulder in one swift move. An unexpected sense of satisfaction stirred in Keran’s chest at the sight of relief flooding onto Lin Fan’s face.

“Sorry, this one is with me,” Keran said loudly and smirked as she led the mercenary away.

They hadn’t taken two steps when a hand on Keran’s shoulder stopped them from leaving. It was the man, and he was looking angry and slightly intoxicated.

Keran grinned.

And punched him in the throat.

 _My god that was so hot_ , Lin Fan thought to herself.

The man’s eyes bugged as he stumbled back clutching his neck and gasping. He spun around, feet struggling to keep up with his swaying body, and promptly threw up over the woman still seated at the bar.

Keran cringed, and hurriedly tugged Lin Fan away. Her strength was not meant to be used on drunks, but she couldn’t exactly say she regretted it. Once they were out of earshot, the guard allowed her arm to fall from around Lin Fan’s shoulder.

“Stay close, yeah?” she shouted over the music.

Lin Fan appeared to try and ask something.

“What?” Keran cupped her ear.

The mercenary just shook her head and reached for Keran’s hand, grasping it tightly on her own. That way they wouldn’t get separated again.

Keran gently squeezed the mercenary’s hand in affirmation at the idea, and they continued the search for the front desk, hands tightly linked.

Lin Fan was hit on two more times and people probably tried to flirt with Keran as well, but she wasn’t paying attention. The pair finally found the front desk and got a room for the night, figuring they might as well sleep before whatever task they were supposed to complete decided to reveal itself.

“Oh god, there’s only one bed,” Lin Fan bemoaned and flopped down upon it.

Keran let herself slump into the desk chair and tiredly rubbed her eyes.

“Should we go ask for a room with two?”

“No, this is fine actually.”

Lin Fan, who had already made herself comfortable in a blanket cocoon, looked up and raised an eyebrow.

“Are you sure you’re okay with sharing a bed?”

If Keran rolled her eyes up any further, she would’ve looked like Sijian in full seer mode.

“No, you dimwit. I was thinking one of us should stay up and keep watch, then trade off after a few hours.”

She peered around the dimly lit room, “Something feels off about this place.”

Lin Fan was silent. As she was already asleep.

Keran smiled to herself as she got up, walked over to the mercenary, and tucked her in. “Good night, Lin Fan.”

Keran shook Lin Fan’s shoulder, jostling the mercenary awake. Lin Fan blinked blearily at the clock next to the bed. Two hours had passed.

“Is it my turn to watch?”

Keran shook her head, “Do you hear that?”

Lin Fan listened. No noise; it was eerily silent for how loud the club downstairs was earlier. She checked the clock again. It was only twelve, too early for the club to close if they were really trying to make bank off of the drunks.

“Something’s not right. Should we go check it out?”

Keran nodded and they checked for their weapons one last time before heading out of the room (Keran having the wit to bring the witch’s leaves with them).

The hallways were dark and empty. Their bodies cast long shadows that loomed on the walls behind them, stalking after them as they walked. Keran said nothing but consciously moved closer towards Lin Fan, who didn’t appear bothered by the dark at all.

Eventually, the duo found themselves back on the first floor of the hotel. The club, which had been milling with people earlier, was completely abandoned.

With the exception of a woman dressed completely in white, pouring herself a glass of champagne at the bar.

Her body was thin and lithe, and the swath of silk that made the robe-like dress she was wearing cling to her form (not leaving much to the imagination). Her long, black hair framed her small, pointed face which was fixed in a sly look, as if she knew something you didn’t.

When the two women approached her, she allowed a close-lipped smile to adorn her attractive face.

“At last you’re here.”

She reached out and latched onto Lin Fan’s arm, “The young one first. I like them young.”

Keran grabbed onto the mercenary’s other hand.

“She’s not going anywhere with you alone.”

The woman raised an eyebrow coyly, like she enjoyed the challenge. All the more fun, her expression seemed to say.

Lin Fan looked between them. Finally, she met Keran’s eyes and gave a slight nod.

“I got this,” she mouthed.

Keran pursed her lips and let go, carefully watching as the mercenary was pulled through the curtain behind the bar into another room.

Lin Fan gulped audibly as she was dragged into the other room. Perhaps she should’ve insisted Keran come. She did not think this through at all (this was how she normally made her decisions, but that was beyond the point). The mercenary was really beginning to regret this as she peered around the creepy new environment.

“Can I say something?” Keran asked suddenly.

Lin Fan blinked and turned around. It seemed that the woman had disappeared and Keran had made the smart decision to follow them back here.

The guard stepped closer and suddenly wrapped the mercenary into a hug, her arms wrapping possessively around Lin Fan.

Lin Fan positively choked.

“I need to tell you, before it’s too late,” Keran whispered. She tucked her face into the crook of Lin Fan’s neck, her hair tickling the mercenary’s skin.

The mercenary tried to keep her cool. Her heart did a backflip.

Keran squeezed Lin Fan tighter.

And that’s when the mercenary realized something was amiss.

Not that she was paying specific attention to it, but Lin Fan knew what it felt like to hug Keran (the guard always held on extremely tight whenever they were on the motorcycle). The thing was...Keran...well, there was no way her assets were this big.

Lin Fan pulled away and held the woman at a distance by the shoulders.

The mercenary chanced a glance downwards just to check her theory, hoping it was discrete. It did not go unnoticed and the impostor stuck her chest out more noticeably.

Lin Fan coughed and looked away. Yup, there was no way the guard owned anything _that_ low-cut. Then, just to make sure...

“Princess, I have something to confess.”

“And what’s that?”

“I broke your comb.”

The Keran copycat giggled, but now Lin Fan could tell it was too shrill and practiced compared to the sound of the guard’s actual laughter.

“That’s no big deal, I’ll just buy another.”

Lin Fan immediately unsheathed her knife and held it to the woman’s neck. Even a tactless person like herself could tell how much that comb meant to Keran.

The woman didn’t even flinch at the sight of the blade.

“Interesting...most people are unable to resist the fox’s temptation.”

The woman’s face flickered, like a TV screen glitching, and it returned to its original form. She looked mildly impressed.

Her eyes glowed slightly, a flaming ring guarding black irises. Lin Fan felt like her soul was being x-rayed. Her heart rate, which was already beating pretty fast, kicked it up another notch.

The woman smiled, “Oh, I see. She doesn’t like you, does she?”

She grinned, baring her teeth (most of which were canines). What had she said earlier? Something about a fox’s temptation?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lin Fan stuttered out, trying to hold her knife steady. She tried to remember what she learned in all of Lin Mo’s (unsuccessful) attempts at teaching her self-defense.

But the fox darted forward in the blink of an eye, and pinned Lin Fan’s arms to her side. The knife slipped out of the mercenary’s grasp with a clatter. Lin Fan tried to wiggle out of the woman’s grip, but her hands might as well have been steel clamps holding the mercenary in place.

The fox’s eyes glinted darkly.

“Afraid to make a move? Don’t worry, I can help you with that.”

Another blur and Lin Fan felt something sharp rake down her back.

Then came the pain.

The mercenary let out a shout as she fell to her knees, feeling as if she were being torn apart from inside and out.

Keran was pacing restlessly outside the room when she heard Lin Fan scream. She tore back the curtain and rushed inside the room, heart pounding wildly.

The woman was nowhere in sight. Instead, there was someone else dressed in the official clothing of the West Kingdom wiping their hands with a white handkerchief.

Lin Fan was lying on the floor passed out, her clothes tattered and soaked in her own blood. Keran lifted the mercenary’s face off the ground and gently patted Lin Fan’s jaw a few times, trying to rouse her.

“Lin Fan! Lin Fan! What did you do to her?” she yelled at the woman.

The figure turned around and Keran nearly fainted.

Yuxin’s familiar face wore a calm expression as she regarded Keran’s dramatic entrance.

“Wha- what? Yuxin? But I thought- “

“Keran, I’m fine-”

Keran’s eyes widened in surprise as the voice that came out of Yuxin’s mouth was not her own, but Lin Fan’s.

How could that be though? Lin Fan was still lying in Keran’s arms bleeding out.

The impostor also seemed startled by the mismatched voice, but Keran paid no mind as she hurriedly dug a bottle of healing potion out of her bag and sloshed it over the gashes on the mercenary’s back.

The wounds gave no hint of improvement and blood continued to gush out. Keran’s breath quickened as her own hands became scarlet, covered with Lin Fan’s blood. No. Nonononono. This couldn’t be happening. There must be something she could do.

“The leaves, kid.” The false Yuxin was gone, replaced by the mysterious woman’s original form.

Keran’s fumbling hands pulled out the herbs from her pocket. She hesitated. What if the woman was lying? After all, she was the one who hurt Lin Fan.

“Oh for heaven’s sake.”

A breeze rustled Keran’s fringe and the next thing she knew, Lin Fan was lying face down with several leaves plastered over the cuts on her back. The bleeding stopped immediately.

“Um...thanks?”

The woman jerked her head towards a table in the corner of the room.

“Come sit, we don’t have much time to talk.”

Keran nodded but lingered to take off her jacket and slid it under the passed out mercenary’s face. She eyed Lin Fan’s leaf covered back and prayed she would get some answers out of the mysterious woman.

“What did you do to her?” Keran asked once more (this time a lot less screamy) when she sat down across from the woman.

“Kitsune scratches,” the woman answered simply.

“You’re a fox?”

She giggled, and Keran’s eyes zeroed in on her mouthful of (extremely) pointed teeth.

“Guilty as charged.”

“I thought all the kitsunes were killed in the Purity War.” A religious cult had taken it upon themselves to exterminate certain mythicals centuries ago and managed to kill nearly every kitsune (despite most foxes being peaceful), before the campaign went south.

“Not me, I’m special.” She winked. “Only those who are trying to get to _it_ encounter me.”

“ _It_?”

“The end prize? The ancient item guarded by the just as ancient mythicals.” She gestured at herself with a touch of pride.

“Anyways, you’ll be led to a temple on the mountain where the item is guarded by the final task. When you get there, you’ll need to burn this at the entrance before you enter.”

She picked up one of the unused leaves from the witch’s garden and expertly rolled it into a long, thin stick.

Keran picked it up and inspected it.

“Incense?”

The fox nodded, “But I can only do one, that’s the rules. So you’ll need to make a choice. Whoever plants the incense in the holder will be...ah- protected in a manner so to say in the final task.”

“I think there’s no debate who will be getting the incense.” Both of them looked at the mercenary, who was still laying with her face to the floor.

“That loser needs it more than I do,” Keran continued as she carefully tucked the stick of incense into her bag.

The fox smiled, and it was unnerving to see the centuries of knowledge on her young face. It was the same as the creepy, knowing smile Sijian got sometimes.

“If you care about her, just say so. There’s no use trying to hide things from me.”

The fox pulled a gun out from between her breasts and set it down in front of Keran with a decisive clank.

“Anyways, to the task at hand. You’re gonna have to kill me.”

She said it casually, as if relaying the weather or something ordinary.

“Um...what?”

Keran wasn’t sure if she’d heard her correctly. And upon closer inspection of the pistol, “Hey! Is this mine?”

The guard patted her belt. When had she even swiped it from Keran?

She picked up the weapon from the table, the pistol’s familiar weight felt oddly heavy in Keran’s hands.

“But why? Why are you even helping me?”

“Kid, I’ve kept myself alive by feeding off of those who come to challenge me. No one has gotten past my trial for nearly nine centuries, and I certainly don’t want to be around for a millennium.”

Geez, she straight up ate people? Keran’s palms started sweating.

“Why me though?”

The woman cocked an eyebrow. “I mean, do you want to be my next meal?”

Keran’s hand tightened around her gun, but it did not give her much comfort.

The fox rolled her eyes.

“There are limits to all magic. For me, kitsunes can only die in the hands of those their powers don’t work on, and we can’t just flip the seduction switch on and off on a whim. It’s damn impossible to convince someone to kill you while they’re under your charm.”

The fox sighed and cradled her head between her hands.

“Do you know how long I’ve waited for someone like you?”

Keran didn’t know whether or not to be flattered by this.

“Besides, you’ll need my blood to heal your friend. Drip a few drops of it over the leaves, and it’ll seal the cuts. Otherwise, the magic of the leaves will eventually fade and you’ll be going solo on your little quest.”

“But can’t we do that without-”

“Please!” The fox cut her off.

The woman looked up and Keran was startled to see the tears sparkling in the kitsune’s eyes.

“Please help this old woman find peace. There’s someone who’s been waiting for me on the other side for a very long time now,” she said in the barest of whispers.

She tugged the barrel of the pistol up so that it was positioned directly over her heart, on the left side of her chest. Keran couldn’t help but notice it was the same place human hearts were. She knew nothing about this mythical, and yet the emotional pain carried for centuries on the fox’s face spoke volumes. There was something fragile and utterly mortal in the glowing eyes.

The guard inhaled.

Exhaled.

And pulled the trigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update coming this week to compensate for the wait (and more waiting to come T-T)  
> Action scenes are a bit tricky for me...
> 
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/vegetablebirb)


	9. Memory Log #4 - History Lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _A excerpt from the West Kingdom history textbook Wenhan, Yuxin, and Keran used in their studies._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's looking forward to the mentor stages??? ✋🏼✋🏼✋🏼

_The kitsune, or fox spirit, is said to be a powerful mythical with a variety of skills. Many foxes possess incredible strength and speed, while others have been known to shapeshift. However, all kitsunes have the ability to mimic sound and have great longevity (though no one has been able to keep a record of just how long they are able to live)._

_Most fox spirits take the form of beautiful women. But do not be deceived by their lovely exteriors as these mythicals are infamous for their carnivorous tendencies. Although every characteristic of the kitsune is primed for luring in prey, most kitsunes choose to live peacefully amongst mankind in recent years, curbing their bloodlust for human flesh over the centuries and making a living by running successful brothels._

_Despite this, the number of kitsunes has dwindled as they (like all mythicals) face discriminatory violence. The most notable of these occurrences being the Purity War, which occurred three centuries ago when a religious cult had campaigned for the extermination of mythicals that relied on seduction. The cult managed to off nearly every kitsune and drove the rest into hiding._

_The notorious cult also led a wild goose chase for nymphs (whose existence is still up to debate even to this day) before they took their mission to sea, and were attacked by pirates. After that, the cult was no more._

_In the past, there was much debate over how one would go about defeating a kitsune or even just resisting the fox’s powers. Though kitsunes have long lives, their bodies are as mortal as a human’s. However, they are well defended with their own skills._

_The most efficient way to counter the fox’s charm is to simply plug one’s ears as their sound mimicry is their primary method of muddling the mind._

_Then, one must outwit the fox. This is no easy task as kitsunes love playing tricks. Based on historical accounts, it’s most effective to play along until the fox believes one is no harm and their guard will lower. Then, strike._

_And then, of course, there are people who are naturally immune. But there hasn’t been a consensus on the criteria for this immunity to occur. (Again, note that kitsune encounters are scarce nowadays.)_

_Much of all this talk has subsided in modern times as mythicals in general are very rare, and the few that are still around have the wit to stay in hiding. The records that give us the information are quite dated and should not be relied on in full._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's dreading the finale? ✋🏼✋🏼✋🏼
> 
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/vegetablebirb)


	10. Mark of a Mercenary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Keran doesn’t have time for this sudden internal confusion._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Lu Keran D.E.B.U.T.  
> I'm really tryna be optimistic, but knowing 271's habits is making it really hard.

A small bottle filled with crimson liquid was all that was left of the fox, her body disappearing into a smattering of glittery lights. Keran gripped the bottle and hurried over to Lin Fan. She tried to ignore the guilt welling up within her, threatening to spill over the edges.

Lin Fan had regained partial consciousness when she heard the gunshot go off. She hissed when the first drop of blood hit her back. A burning sensation raced down Lin Fan’s wounds, a heated prickle teased at the damaged flesh.

“Wha- what are you doing to me?”

Keran winced sympathetically and dripped a few more drops.

“Holy hell, woman! I swear to-” Lin Fan gasped suddenly, pain branding her back like a hot iron. She was fully awake now.

“Sorry sorry, the fox said-”

“You did what she said to do?! She tried to kill me, Princess!”

Keran made no reply, just took one of the mercenary’s flailing hands in hers. She hoped it would be enough to ask Lin Fan to just blindly trust her.

Lin Fan’s grip on Keran’s hand was tight, but the guard was sure she was squeezing the mercenary’s hand ten times harder.

The leaves covering Lin Fan’s wounds began to steam, as if they had been drenched in healing potion. But then the steam rolled off the leaves faster and faster as if they were scalding hot.

Lin Fan moaned in pain. Keran watched in horror as the leaves turned scarlet and sank into Lin Fan’s back, engraving themselves onto her skin. The gaping gashes on Lin Fan’s back slowly began to seal, the cuts stitching themselves back together like a garment being zipped up.

A scream ripped its way out of Lin Fan’s throat. Followed by another tortured shriek. And another. And another.

Keran almost looked away, but Lin Fan’s eyes met her. Big, beautiful, brown eyes filled with terror and begging for answers that Keran didn’t have. With her free hand, Keran reached out and gently stroked Lin Fan’ hair. The mercenary was sweating profusely.

“It’s going to be okay,” she said more for herself than the mercenary. “You’re going to be okay.”

Lin Fan’s body convulsed and she passed out again.

It took Lin Fan half an hour to finally regain consciousness. And the first words she heard out of Keran’s mouth were “you’re a fxxxing moron and a hazard to my health.”

Lin Fan coughed weakly, “Well don’t expect me to lose any sleep over it.”

She tried to sit up but gasped out in pain. Out of the corner of her eye, Lin Fan could see Keran tense. Gritting her teeth, Lin Fan hauled herself into a sitting position.

“Ugh, I can practically hear you worrying, Princess. Don’t sweat it, it’ll take a lot more than that to take me down.” Though the words were said with conviction, Lin Fan's voice trembling with exhaustion.

Keran choked out a laugh and wiped some sweat off of Lin Fan’s brow with her sleeve.

“Just always got to be the hero, huh?”

Lin Fan closed her eyes and with a contented smile she replied, “Of course. Who else is gonna save you, Princess?”

For a second, Keran felt her heart flutter at the teasing comment.

Ew. This was Lin Fan they were talking about here. The Lin Fan with two left feet, who was annoyingly flirty and never took things seriously, who was stupid beyond comprehension, who almost died for-

”Hey!” Lin Fan exclaimed excitedly, startling Keran out of her thoughts.

“Do you know what this means? Sijian was actually right for once! We did kill a fox!”

The vial of blood in Keran’s pack weighed a thousand pounds. _Please help this old woman find peace._ She had done the right thing. Right?

“We sure did,” Keran replied with a tired smile, and ruffled Lin Fan’s hair affectionately.

Although the hotel gave no indication of any other human or mythical activity, Keran and Lin Fan quickly decided they’d rather camp out in the woods rather than spend the rest of the night in the unsettling place.

Lin Fan sat alarmingly still while staring into the small fire Keran had built, deep in thought (which was also worrisome because Lin Fan was _never_ deep in thought). Keran didn’t know what to say, so she just kept quiet.

Finally, the mercenary broke the silence.

“She gave you the comb, didn’t she?”

Keran felt herself tense. Lin Fan watched her steadily.

“The advisor. The one the quest is for. Yu...xin, I think?”

Keran’s mouth remained stubbornly glued shut.

“Were the two of you…”

“No.”

Keran’s hands fiddled around nervously, desperate for a way to alleviate her growing discomfort. Somehow, Sijian’s mirror wound up between her fingers and she flipped it open.

Her own reflection stared blankly at her.

Keran thought of the advisor, wondering how far the poison had progressed. Yuxin’s visage shimmered to the surface.

Yuxin looked the same. (Was that a good sign?)

“Yuxin...and Wenhan, they’re the only family I have. I’d do anything under the sun for them.”

Now Keran was wondering how Wenhan was coping with all of this. She immediately regretted the thought when the sight of Wenhan putting rollers in his hair greeted her in the mirror’s reflection.

He must’ve just gotten out of the shower because his hair was still damp.

And he was wearing nothing but his boxers.

Keran snapped the mirror shut with an _eek_. Lin Fan gave her a curious look and Keran straightened out her expression before continuing.

“As for relationships, the three of us would probably marry for the purpose of political alliances. Unless...well, no one has ever thought of leaving the palace grounds once they enter. The king treated us well and there’s comfort in stability within the castle walls.”

The words sounded practiced and empty, even to Keran’s own ears. But Lin Fan nodded her understanding nonetheless.

“I was just asking since I’m pretty sure I saw that woman’s face turn into Yuxin’s right before I blacked out.”

Keran felt her face burn in mild distress, and quickly decided to turn the conversation around.

“So who did you see then?”

Lin Fan nervously wiped her palms on her pants before stuttering out a very convincing “n-nobody.”

Keran squinted at her.

“I didn’t see anyone,” Lin Fan insisted.

Keran dropped it, considering she didn’t tell Lin Fan about hearing the mercenary’s voice come out of the fox’s mouth. That was a whole other can of worms. She wasn’t even ready to have that conversation with herself yet.

Instead, Keran settled for the next best thing. She sat herself down next to Lin Fan and rested her head on the mercenary’s shoulder.

“Princess, what-”

“Just for a sec.” Keran’s fingers wound themselves around Lin Fan’s arm. “Please?”

They were both quiet, listening to the crackle of the campfire. A multitude of questions echoed inside Keran’s hollow chest, flinging themselves around wildly demanding answers. They clawed their way up to the tip of her tongue, and she swallowed them down with great difficulty.

Her heart screamed at her to say something, but all her head could think about was how comfortable she felt in the moment.

Yuxin briefly surfaced in her mind as the advisor had always been a bit shorter, so doing something like this always left Keran’s neck cramping. But here, in the present, it was different. Lin Fan’s shoulder was at just the right position, like it was custom made for Keran to lean on.

Meanwhile, Lin Fan had stopped breathing.

Her brain had completely shut down. The mercenary was convinced she had died and gone to the afterlife. Lin Fan just hadn’t figured out whether this was heaven or hell yet.

“Thank you,” Keran murmured.

“Huh?” Lin Fan responded eloquently.

“For coming on this quest with me,” Keran explained. “I’m glad it was you.”

How does anyone find a response to _that_?

The silence dragged on.

“So...I noticed you had a tattoo on your shoulder while you were laying down.”

“Checking out my hot bod while I was out? Didn’t think you were the type, Princess.”

“I was just curious since it looked like the one Wenxuan had…”

“And like all the ones the rest of the mercenaries have. It’s the mark of a mercenary who’s part of Lin Mo’s crowd.”

“Cool.”

Lin Fan reached a hand back and touched at the dark ink thoughtfully. It was a dangerous thought, the one she was having.

“Do you…”

A breeze blew through their camp and Keran huddled closer to Lin Fan, sleepily rubbing her head against the mercenary’s shoulder.

“Do I ever think of leaving?” She cracked an eye open. “Was that what you wanted to ask?”

Lin Fan slowly nodded, and Keran sighed. She idly picked at a thread on Lin Fan’s sleeve.

“More than you would think.”

She let out a long breath through her nose.

“Nothing to leave for, not much to stay for either. Just looking for a good reason to sway the balance to one side.”

Another quiet night passed.

The tablet’s lights led them up to the temple, which was less of a temple and more of an open air pavilion. The squat building was surrounded by a thick and decorative wall that served no practical purpose whatsoever, and festive, colorful flags waved from the roof in the refreshing breeze. A few lanterns artificially lit the interior in the waning late afternoon light.

Keran couldn’t remember the last time she felt this peaceful. The hike up the peak of the mountain wasn’t that bad, especially with Lin Fan there to talk her ear off the entire way up.

“We’re here,” Keran breathed out. There was no reason to whisper, but it seemed wrong to disturb the silence which blanketed the mountain top.

Lin Fan spotted an ancient looking incense holder and began to make a beeline for it. Keran reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her.

“Wait, Lin Fan.”

The mercenary looked back at her expectantly and Keran felt the familiar flutter in her chest she was growing used to.

“Promise me no matter what happens tomorrow, you’ll get whatever we find back to the castle as fast as possible.”

“I’m not leaving you, if that’s where you’re getting at,” Lin Fan said in a lowered voice. She fixed her gaze stubbornly on her feet, refusing to meet Keran’s eyes.

Keran slid her hand into Lin Fan’s.

“Just promise me you’ll save yourself first.”

Lin Fan rolled her eyes, “Of course, of course. Don’t worry, Princess. I can take care of myself.”

She dragged Keran over to the incense holder before the guard could protest. A quick glance at the tablet confirmed a match with the symbol stamped on the incense holder.

Keran sighed and rummaged through her bag for the incense.

“Here, you do it,” Keran said, placing the stick into Lin Fan’s hand.

The mercenary lifted an eyebrow, “The fox said to just burn it? What will it do?”

Keran shrugged, took Lin Fan’s lighter out of her bag, and lit the incense. _It’ll protect you._

Lin Fan held the incense between her palms which were pressed together in prayer, and bowed three times. She squeezed her eyes shut as if making a wish. It was super cute.

Keran blinked the distracting thought away and watched as the scented smoke trailed out of the stick. It swirled gently around Lin Fan before dispersing in a disappointingly anticlimactic manner.

Lin Fan opened her eyes and stuck the incense in the holder.

She turned to face Keran and smiled. So pretty. So genuine.

Keran’s heart skipped a beat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have much of a presence online, but this is the one place I have a bit of an audience.  
> So if you haven't already, check out the links below (help spread the word, donate, or educate yourself)  
> [Black Lives Matter Links](https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/)  
> [BLM Website](https://blacklivesmatter.com/)  
> If you have Netflix or can find it on another streaming site, I highly recommend watching DuVernay's "13th". It dives deep into the messed of origins of racism towards the black community in America and the resulting impacts on society today.  
> [Documentary: 13th](https://www.netflix.com/title/80091741)


	11. Memory Log #5 - Rejection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Unrequited crushes are meant to be let go._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've found a new show to fill the QCYN2 shaped hole in my soul now that it's finished airing.  
> If you haven't watched "Road to Kingdom" I'll drop a few links to my favorite performances. Seriously, some of them are just breathtaking (stan The Boyz).  
> [* The Boyz - Danger](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP41JfFT5K8)  
> [* ONEUS - Lit](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jVBKcv5NzQ)  
> [* Pentagon - Shine/Spring Snow](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TyEdpW4Oi4&t=24s) (crying warning)

Keran’s sweat soaked shirt clung uncomfortably to her heated skin as she sped walked down the hallway. Wenhan wanted to have a briefing with her and Yuxin, so Keran rushed over as soon as her training ended. 

Keran paused at the door, hand hovering over the knob, when she heard her name in a snatch of the conversation between her friends. Keran hesitated, then pressed herself to the wall to continue eavesdropping.

“No, I don’t think so,” Keran heard Yuxin say.

Wenhan’s laughter.

“Please, have you seen the way Keran looks at you?”

Yuxin’s sigh.

“Even if I wanted it to happen, I don’t think she’s ready for a relationship yet. Plus, all three of us will probably have to marry for the kingdom-”

Keran stopped listening and left the corridor she had been lurking in.

How could she possibly know Keran wasn’t ready for a relationship? What did Yuxin know anyways? She hadn’t even bothered to take Keran out for a test drive.

The petty anger rose up in her to distract from the bitter disappointment.

Keran raced up the steps of the observatory, two at a time, all the way up to the highest point on the palace grounds. Standing in front of the open window, wind swirling refreshingly just outside. Keran’s blood roared in her ears as she dug the black comb out from her pocket.

It seemed appropriate; this was the place Yuxin had given her the comb.

Keran hated how it was just there. Always in her pocket. Was she really this pathetic? She gripped the comb so hard, the decorations dug painfully into her palm. She drew her arm back for a good throw.

And stopped.

Keran’s arm fell to her side.

It would be a shame to let such an extravagant thing go to waste.

She told herself she was being practical (not hopeful) while her hand tightened itself around the comb again, its teeth biting back in response.

Yuxin had long since stopped combing her hair, but perhaps there was someone else out there who would be willing to comb Keran’s hair. Or someone else’s hair for Keran to comb.

She felt...empty. But also weirdly freed. Like she finally got closure. For what, Keran didn’t know. But it was about damn time this senseless pining came to an end.

Ah, who was she kidding?

Keran would probably be whipped for Yuxin for the rest of her life.

The breeze tickled Keran’s cheek. She took a cleansing breath and calmly returned the comb to her pocket

And someone in the future laughed with delight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another way to support the Black Lives Matter cause  
> [YouTube Vids that Donate to BLM](https://twitter.com/kiIlmytime/status/1268151832171483138)  
> I personally really enjoyed Stephanie's mukbang vids because she gives a lot of statistics and also talks about specific stories of people hurt by the system which really puts the problems of the current justice system into perspective.
> 
> Stay safe you guys, sign a few petitions (you only need to spare a few minutes), and happy pride month! 🌈


	12. The Cursed Lasso of Doom (3rd Task)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Item obtained. Quest complete. Just kidding._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yah yeet, I feel like I'm losing momentum for this work so apologies for the delay in updates.  
> But also I've started cranking out stuff for the fic fest. I LOVE interacting with the other writers. In this fandom, it's a rather small writing community so I'm like the noob lol. Everyone is really nice though, and I'm so productive when we write together 🥰

The temple had no statues, paintings, carvings, or anything a temple normally had (with the exception of the incense holder out front). The only thing inside was a very ordinary rock sitting on a plain pedestal in the middle of the room.

Lin Fan walked over to it.

“Do you think this is it?”

Keran didn’t answer, she was busy scanning the perimeter warily. The stillness of the environment was unnerving. Even the wind was holding its breath, waiting for something to go horribly wrong.

Keran’s hand rested on her pistol. The open space of the pavilion made her extremely uneasy. Both Keran and Lin Fan had short-range weapons (why didn’t they think to bring something like a crossbow? Or a rifle?) giving them distance vulnerability.

Keran eyed the knife strapped to Lin Fan’s thigh with scrutiny, then realized the mercenary was beginning to reach for the ominous rock.

“Wait, Lin Fan-”

Lin Fan casually plucked the rock off the pedestal to inspect it.

The walls immediately began to crack and crumble.

Wide-eyed, Lin Fan hurriedly put the rock back on the pedestal. But it was already too late, the pavilion came crashing down around them.

Luckily, they were both standing towards the center of the temple and weren’t flattened by any of the falling rubble.

Unluckily, something stirred under the ruins behind Lin Fan.

“Lin Fan!”

“Oops?” She offered Keran an embarrassed smile.

“No, behind you!”

The mercenary whipped around and came face to face with the massive snake.

“Oh.”

The snake was huge, like its head was the size of Lin Fan’s torso. Its body matched the perimeter of the demolished temple walls it had been locked in for god knows how long. The serpent yawned, showing off twin fangs as thick and long as Keran’s arms.

Worst of all, it’s pure black body with complementary dark scales and distinct triangular head matched the cautionary flyers the palace sent out every month about the cursed serpents.

The snake shook itself in a weirdly dog like manner, winking a piece of plaster out of its milky eyes. Keran realized it was blind, though it didn’t seem too disadvantaged by it. The beast turned its head this way and that, attuning to its surroundings.

Then the serpent faced Lin Fan, seemingly pinpointing her location. It’s iridescent scales shifted colorfully in the dawn’s growing light as it glided closer to Lin Fan.

“Maybe it's friendly?” Lin Fan said hopefully, inching backwards.

The snake flicked its tongue out, tasting the air before unhinging its mouth to squarely spray something absolutely foul into Lin Fan’s face. Drops of the clear fluid ran down the sides of Lin Fan’s cheeks like tears. Whatever it was gave off toxic fumes that made Keran’s nose burn even from where she was standing.

“Lin Fan!”

The mercenary held up her hand to prevent Keran from running to her. Lin Fan wiped some of the vile-smelling liquid off with her sleeve. Wherever it touched, the fabric disintegrated a bit.

“I’m okay...I think.” Lin Fan gagged a bit at the smell, but seemed otherwise unharmed. “So not friendly then?”

Keran allowed the relief to whoosh out of her. So the incense had worked then.

The serpent still seemed slightly disoriented having been woken from a centuries long nap, so Keran decided to take the opportunity and fired a shot between the snake’s eyes.

The bullet ricocheted off the snake’s scales with a dull clink and soared off the side of the mountain.

The serpent gave an unimpressed hiss of irritation and gave chase after Lin Fan.

“What the hell, Princess? Aren’t you supposed to use what the fox gave you?” Lin Fan shrieked, hopping and dodging around debris to avoid the serpent’s eager jaws.

Keran pulled the bottle of fox’s blood out. She ran after the serpent and attempted to dribble some of the potent liquid on its tail. But the drops of crimson just rolled off the snake’s scales, splashing onto the ground wasted. She ceased her attempts after the serpent’s waving behind nearly whipped the bottle out of her hands

“It’s not working!” Keran could hear the panic rising in her own voice.

Lin Fan took another disgusting splash of mystery liquid to the face.

“Are you sure you’re doing it correctly?”

“It didn’t exactly come with an instructions manual!” Keran answered irritably.

Lin Fan offered no further advice, preoccupied with distracting the snake.

“Alright, I’m going to consult an expert. You just...keep the snake occupied.”

“Don’t exactly have a choice!” Lin Fan hollered, pelting the snake with pieces of rubble.

“You’re doing wonderfully!” Keran shouted back.

She seized her bag and dumped its contents out. Keran rifled through the random supplies (she really ought to get more organized) to find the silver pocket mirror.

Keran pried it open, her palms were slick with sweat.

“Sijian help!”

There was a bit of fumbling on the other end before Sijian’s face swung into view. Thank goodness.

“Keran, long time no see. What is up?”

“What the fxxx do we do?”

Keran pointed the face of the mirror towards the wriggling serpent which was still in relentless pursuit of Lin Fan.

“Oh that? That looks like a cursed serpent.”

“Yes, but how do we kill it? It’s like...invincible!”

“All magic has limits, it’s bound to have a weakness. Try looking for-”

“INCOMING!” Lin Fan screeched.

The snake lunged at Keran, making her drop the mirror and draw her pistol.

Keran nimbly dodged the beast’s dripping fangs and fired a warning shot at the serpent’s mouth.

To her surprise, the serpent recoiled, spitting angrily and coughing black blood out that left smoking patches of grass wherever it dribbled.

There are limits to all magic. The snake was shielded from the outside, but not from the inside. Keran did not like the idea forming in her head. She clenched the bottle of fox’s blood tightly.

“Any day now, Princess!” Lin Fan yelled as she managed to shove a large stick she found between the snake’s jaws.

The serpent hissed angrily and tried to snap its mouth shut. If this was going to work, Keran had to time things perfectly.

She fired a shot into the air and tried not to shudder as the snake turned to face her. It slithered forward, it’s unseeing eyes fixed directly on Keran’s face.

Keran waited, heartbeat rising to her throat.

It coiled up, preparing for a strike.

Keran’s breaths shallowed.

She could hear Lin Fan screaming at her to get out of the way.

The snake launched itself forward, the stick falling out as its jaws stretched wider in anticipation of prey. Keran could now see the ooze of poison around the corners of the serpent's angular mouth and the air around her reeked of death.

Curved fangs glinted and the reflection of the rising sun grew closer and closer in the serpent’s milky eyes.

She chucked the bottle as hard as she could.

Time slowed.

The bottle arched gracefully through the air briefly, red liquid lazily sloshing around.

It turned once.

And sailed directly down the snake’s throat.

Keran took a sluggish step back.

But it was too late.

There was a sharp scrape, twin spears impaling the side of her neck.

Just when she thought her jugular was about to be torn out, the snake froze. Keran’s saw her own terrified expression mirrored in the cold eyes widened so close to her face.

The snake unlatched itself to rear its head back, rapidly coiling and uncoiling with panic.

Its body shuddered.

It gagged and hacked up something that landed at Keran’s feet, making a smoking crater in the ground. The mystery object was vaguely hot dog shaped and had a revolting slime covering it.

As Keran was making her observations, the snake coughed up more hot dogs like objects and began to shrivel up, its body folding in on itself.

The serpent was wheezing now and a stone like projectile rocketed out of its throat to join the hot dog specimen in front of Keran.

And the beast was dead, the husk of what was left of it fluttering in the wind.

The stone at Keran’s feet pulsed weakly and stilled. Too late did Keran register it was the snake's heart. She didn’t even want to think what vital organs the steaming hot dogs had been.

Keran shuddered with disgust and briskly walked to the pedestal to join Lin Fan whilst fighting the bile rising at the back of her throat. She was beginning to feel slightly light-headed, and pressed a hand over the punctures on her neck.

The stone crumpled with the sharp sound like the crack of a whip. Dust billowed into the air, causing Keran and Lin Fan to cough and wheeze. When the air cleared, all that was left was something small and dingy white.

Keran smiled with relief.

They did it. The quest was complete.

“We risked our lives for a fxxxing piece of ginger?” Lin Fan exclaimed, looking down at the shriveled root in her palm with disbelief.

Keran snatched the ingredient out of Lin Fan’s hand and tucked it safely into her pocket.

“Are you blind? It’s a ginseng root. And it’s going to save Yuxin!”

Lin Fan spun her knife around her finger twice before tucking it back into her belt.

“Still. All that hassle for that one little thing.”

Keran’s head spun from the slow ache in her neck blossoming across the rest of her body. Something wasn’t right. Sweet, wholesome, smiley Lin Fan would never say something like this.

The fox, she had said something about expecting the last task to be the most daunting.

The witch’s task had been a check of physical agility and the fox’s task was an assessment of mental strength.

Which meant the serpent was a test of both?

The snake’s poison. The toxic smell of the spray, it wasn’t a coincidence. Who knows how much of the poisonous fumes Lin Fan had inhaled during their scuffle with the serpent?

So now Keran was now physically poisoned while Lin Fan was mentally poisoned.

But the incense, had it not worked?

Lin Fan rolled her eyes at the guard’s silence. Her clothes were torn all over, but there wasn’t a single scratch on her.

All magic has its limits. Protect from one, but not the other.

“Ugh, you got your stupid little ingredient. So why don’t you just scoot along and go save your advisor like the noble knight you are? That’s all you care about anyways.”

The jealousy was evident in her tone, and it shrouded the mild look of concern she had earlier for Keran’s wound. Keran opened her mouth, but the words stuck in her throat, caught behind the dam of excruciating pain from the snake bite.

The mercenary took this as an affirmation of her statement. Lin Fan, never being able to hide her feelings well, stormed off with a hurt look.

Keran stood in place helplessly, clueless as to what to do, until she heard the distant sound of the motorcycle rev and roar away.

As soon as Lin Fan rode off into the sunset without Keran, the first thing the guard did was sit down and bawl her eyes out. It was frankly embarrassing and Keran was not proud of herself for doing so.

Her neck was still ablaze with crippling agony and she wanted nothing more than to hear Lin Fan crack a dumb joke or grin at her with that adorable smile.

When Keran finally pulled herself together, she began a slow descent back down the mountain. The end of their quest ( _well just her quest now, I suppose_ ) had brought them back close to the start point, and Keran could see the walls of the castle from the peak of the mountain.

Keran’s movements were fatigued, every step felt like she was swimming against the tide. Twice she nearly walked right off the edge of the cliff because her vision began to swim violently.

She felt ready to collapse when she finally reached the base of the mountain. Keran panted heavily, unsure if the blurring in her eyes was from the record breaking amount of sweating she was doing or if it was just her vision was spinning again.

Keran sloshed some healing potion over her wound clumsily. A cooling sensation swept over the bloodied flesh. For about two seconds.

Then, the torment returned.

The back of Keran’s skull sparked with sharp irritation and her ears rang in alarm.

Keran coughed, a spray of black blood rained onto the grass below.

She crumpled to the ground.

Dirty shoes, several pairs of them, entered her line of vision. Only then did Keran realize she had been attacked.

 _Raiders_ , was her last thought before she was yanked into a sitting position and a sickly, sweet scented cloth covered her nose rendering her unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As the fic is beginning to draw to a close, I do want to ask you guys: do you enjoy the memory logs? Or would you prefer it if they weren't there? This fic isn't a standalone, so I'm debating whether to have stuff like the logs in future works.
> 
> Meanwhile, the BLM movement is losing media attention yet the issue is far from resolved. Here's a video from one of my favorite YouTubers [bestdressed](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXCAmEK5zAk&t=0s) where all the ad revenue will be going towards relevant charities


	13. Memory Log #6 - Follow the Lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _They're finally getting their priorities straight_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm debating whether I want the next one in my West Kingdom to be wlw or mlm...  
> No one's writing for QCYN for the fic fest and the few requests available were kinda furry-esque (not really my forte).  
> I've been sitting on a couple half-baked cookie ideas for my QCYN ships.  
> But at the same time, the first season didn't get the attention QCYN2 is getting. So not really sure about the interest level.  
> Unless...i wrote two at once? Good gods, why would I do that to myself.

Lin Fan came to her senses (somewhat) once she was a good distance from the mountain. And away from Keran. The hot rage that had possessed Lin Fan previously was replaced by cold dread that brewed in a churning pit with her stomach.

What had she been thinking? Just leaving Keran, wounded, with no transportation, and nearly no supplies either.

Lin Fan, immersed in her thoughts, crashed directly into a bush. The motorcycle pitched its passenger off, clattering over.

The mercenary winced and picked a few twigs out of her hair. Thank goodness she’d been wearing her helmet.

She suddenly felt very ill.

Keran had always been the one nagging her to wear the helmet.

It was for her own good. It was always for Lin Fan’s good. Keran had done nothing but try to protect Lin Fan on this quest. And how had she repaid Keran?

Lin Fan picked herself up. This wouldn’t do. She had to go back. God, what would she tell the prince if Keran- if Keran was-

Lin Fan shook her head, trying not to think of the possibility. She began to gather the stuff that had been scattered across the forest floor during her crash landing.

When her hand brushed the stone tablet that had accompanied the pair throughout the quest, there was a flicker of movement.

Lin Fan’s fingers flinched back and her head snapped up, eyes scanning her darkened surroundings.

Nothing.

She warily picked the tablet up, holding it protectively in front of her chest like a shield.

Glowing balls of blue light blinked into view. Lin Fan froze. The quest was over though.

Wasn’t it?

No, the quest was to bring the ginseng back to the castle. The ginseng that was still with Keran. Lin Fan quickly hopped back on the motorcycle and followed the lights into the woods without hesitation.

Keran was either asleep and alive, or dead and drifting in a weird state of consciousness. Everything just seemed so dark.

And everything also _hurt_. Keran felt like her insides dragged through a cheese grater and her skin was ripped off, deep fried, then slapped back on.

Was death supposed to feel this painful? Maybe in hell. But Keran doubted that’s where she was currently, she’d been a goddamn saint most of her life (maybe a bit petty at times, but overall a real angel). She’d be real ticked off if she was in hell.

So she was still alive.

Good.

Keran prayed to every god and deity she could recall. She pleaded into the empty void just to let her live long enough to save Yuxin. They couldn’t leave Wenhan alone.

_And what else?_ A conspiratorial voice whispered in her mind (it sounded like Sijian).

Her thoughts instantly flew to Lin Fan. And the voice in her head smiled. Keran could almost see Sijian’s shit-eating grin.

_Linfan...I just -_

_-made her feel like she was the second choice? Less than Yuxin?_ The voice supplied unhelpfully.

_It wasn’t like that! It’s different! They’re different! I don’t see Yuxin that way anymore..._

The voice tsked.

_It’s not about how they’re different. It’s about what you do differently._

_What does that even mean?!_

_It means you screwed up, so you need a grand gesture of love! And it doesn’t even have to be completely gaudy, over-the-top romantic._

What a relief. Lu Keran was a lot of things, but she definitely wasn’t a romantic.

Still, she was hopeless when it came to expressing her own feelings.

_So how do I “do differently” then?_ She asked the void.

_Well, what was something you didn’t do with Yuxin?_

_I never even told her how I felt-_

_Great! You can start with that then._

Keran felt queasy (but also just a teeny bit giddy) at the thought of confessing.

_What do I do after that?_

_Figure it out yourself! I don’t have the answers to everything! It just needs to send a clear message that you are choosing her and expel all doubts from her pretty little head._

And with that, the voice faded back into the darkness. Keran drifted along in emptiness and wondered what exactly pertained to a “grand gesture of love”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the spirit of pride month, I wanna recommend a BL kdrama that recently came out, "Where Your Eyes Linger".  
> I initially watched it for research (ya girl's gotta get inspo from somewhere), but goddamn it really checked off all the boxes for a picky watcher like me.  
> I won't spoil, but I just feel like this is a pretty big step for South Korea. While there has been more queer representation in kdramas, this is just on another level bois. I could go on for days about it, but I will just leave it at this for now.


	14. A Matter of Life and Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Just in time to save her from the brink of death._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no thoughts, head empty  
> Sijian is my favorite character btw

Keran found herself tied to a tree when she woke up. Wonderful. She hated raiders. And her whole existence hurting (like a lot).

Why was she tied up anyways? Normally, raiders just cleaned out the pockets of their victims before zooming.

It was dark and there was a campfire burning at the center of the clearing, but no other life forms were present to receive it’s warmth. Where was everyone? Maybe a supply run (re: robbing some poor merchant passing by).

They were clearly confident Keran would be out for a lot longer.

At least the raiders were too dimwitted to check Keran’s inner pockets. She’d lost most of her supplies and her bag in the scuffle with the snake, so what little was left had been shoved into the interior pockets on her coat.

Keran awkwardly shifted her bound hands to feel for the ginseng and relief filled her as she felt the small lump in her breast pocket.

She patted around some more, taking a brief inventory. Money, unsurprisingly, was all gone (but there hadn't been much left anyways).

Pistol, gone.

Keran cursed under her breath. Her gun had the royal family’s crest on it. The raiders must’ve realized she was from the castle and wanted to...ransom maybe?

Keran leaned back against the tree and brainstormed what to do next. Her hands patted her pants and found purchase on a small vial nestled next to a couple of empty bottles that once contained healing potion. The amber liquid in the vial sloshed merrily as Keran pulled it out, the potion warming immediately to her touch.

This was one of Hanyu’s more unconventional and - ah - more experimental creations, so there was no telling how volatile the potion actually was. While Shiyuan strictly practiced healing magic, Hanyu’s specialty in herbal remedies led him to explorations of various sciences.

It had stirred quite a controversy amongst the public after the news regarding Hanyu’s unusual studies had gotten out when one of his experiments had gone horribly awry.

After all, what business did a healer’s apprentice have dabbling in explosives?

Unfortunately, the raiders weren’t stupid enough to leave Keran’s knife with her. So she fumbled around her coat some more, trying to find something that might serve as a sharp edge.

Then, her hands passed over the pocket mirror.

Keran took it out and struggled with great difficulty to flick it open. She peered at its pristine surface, surprised it hadn’t cracked from the roughing up she’d gotten from the raiders.

Keran’s reflection looked grotesque framed in the delicate silver frame of the mirror. Her skin was as pale as a sheet, highlighting the black veins spreading from her neck as the venom took its toll. A wide variety of scrapes and bruises decorating her face as well.

And yes, that was indeed a bug crawling out of her dirty and matted hair.

Beautiful.

Keran groaned and raised her arms, trying to flick the bug off with the hand mirror. But the only thing she succeeded in doing was smacking herself in the face, squashing the bug onto her forehead in the process.

Lovely.

Keran tried to contact Sijian. She was near the castle. Maybe they could send someone.

Sijian wasn’t in his study though. He was by Yuxin’s bedside with Shiyuan.

Keran startled at Yuxin’s appearance. Black veins criss-crossed all over Yuxin’s features, nearly covering her entire face, a net suffocating the life out of her.

“How much time?” Sijian asked quietly.

“Maybe a day, if we're lucky. No word from Keran?”

“No, not since this morning.”

Keran slumped. So Sijian was busy. Which meant no backup.

It was time to improvise.

Keran groaned again. Sijian would kill her for destroying an artifact from the magical archives. Pain abruptly arched through her body, an unnecessary reminder of the guard's situation. Keran gagged at the foul taste of inky blood decorating her tongue.

Then again, if Keran just sat here, she’d probably die sooner or later from the poison swimming through her veins. Additionally, Keran’s current plan of escape also had about a 75% chance of resulting in a fiery death.

The choices were overwhelming.

Keran fumbled around her pockets some more. Hanyu had said all she needed to do was light the cork of the vial, throw it one way, then run the other way.

She finally managed to extract Lin Fan’s lighter from her pocket.

Lin Fan. Keran really missed her despite them only being apart for a few hours. Keran hoped she was doing okay and hadn’t run into any trouble.

No sooner had she thought of Lin Fan, the mirror glowed and rippled to show the mercenary still riding on the motorcycle. Keran smiled, Lin Fan finally learned to wear the helmet. She let out a breath of relief. At least the idiot was alright.

There was no telling when the raiders would be returning to camp, so Keran took one last look at Lin Fan before breaking the mirror and using the shards to clumsily saw off the ropes binding her arms and legs.

Keran’s vision spun as she stood unsteadily. She gripped the vial in her hand tightly, as if that would help her get a grip of her current situation

Then, the first raider entered the clearing.

“Hey!” the man shouted.

She fumbled to get the lighter open. Keran lit the cork stopper on the vial. A flame flared to life and Keran blinked the spots out of her eyes.

Keran chucked Hanyu’s concoction into the clearing and ducked behind the tree she was previously tied to.

She heard the vial shatter and a faint hiss.

One heartbeat, two heartbeats...why wasn’t anything happening? She could hear several raiders approaching her not-so-secret hiding place.

Then, a deep rumble echoed through the trees.

And the forest around them erupted in flames.

The sudden influx of heat and smoke did not help the Keran’s fragile condition. She quickly lost track of time, stumbling this way and that, trying to avoid the violent flames.

There was fire everywhere and the raiders had long scattered. Keran coughed in the thick smoke, each breath dragging through her lungs like white heat. Meanwhile, the puncture wounds on her exposed neck continued to ooze and the shoulder of Keran’s shirt became soaked with black blood.

Keran staggered away from the flames blindly and, by some miracle, found her way out of the woods right in front of the palace walls. If she could just get to the entrance, and deliver the ginseng…Yuxin… she couldn’t let Yuxin die too...And Lin Fan...she had to at least tell her...

Keran stumbled a few more steps forward and her legs buckled underneath her. She would’ve face-planted straight into the mud, but a strong pair of arms caught her.

Keran’s head swam and her senses dulled. She could barely see past her own nose and everything she heard was oddly warbled, as if she were submerged under water.

Keran dimly felt herself being shaken and her ears cleared enough to hear a tearful voice calling her name over and over again. “Keran! Keran! Keran...I’m so sorry.”

“Oh god, Lin Fan. Thank god thank god,” Keran managed to mumble. She coughed weakly, darkness trickling out of her mouth.

“We need to get back- not much time-” she wheezed.

Keran felt herself being hoisted up and heard the familiar revving of the motorcycle. In her muddled mind, Keran knew they were riding into the castle grounds. However, she felt so far out of her body. Drifting. Further and further. Away.

Keran was dying. Quite literally.

Her natural pale complexion was now a frightening shade of white, further highlighting the black venom in her veins which was slowly inching their way up the sides of her face.

She was barely clinging onto consciousness, an overwhelming urge to sleep filled her head as Lin Fan lugged her into the palace, yelling for a healer.

Keran knew she’d be utterly fxxxed if she fell victim to slumber.

She tried to keep her eyes open.

But her vision had narrowed into tiny pinpricks.

Her ears buzzed with static.

There were snatches of Hanyu’s voice shouting frantic instructions.

Keran coughed violently.

Acidic tasting blackness filled her mouth.

She tried to breathe.

It felt like inhaling thick liquid.

Her lungs brimmed with coldness.

It was suffocating.

She couldn’t breathe.

She gasped.

She choked.

Then, like a light switched off

Everything went dark.

_~ End ~_

### Notes:

And so no one lived happily ever after. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

[]() []() []() [](http://archiveofourown.org/comments/show_comments?work_id=YOUR_WORK_ID_HERE)

_Of course that’s not the end._

Hanyu shoved aside a stack of books, several racks of empty vials, and one (flirty) Lian Huaiwei to make room to mix a quick antidote.

At this point, Keran was gasping like a beached fish, practically choking on the black blood flooding out of her mouth. Then, the guard’s spasming body went slack.

“Huaiwei, quick get me some dried thistles,” Hanyu said urgently.

Huaiwei jumped to action and began fetching ingredients Hanyu barked at him.

Meanwhile, Lin Fan could do nothing but watch as the blackness in Keran’s veins continued to unfurl like vines across the guard’s delicate features.

Now that Keran was completely still, Lin Fan was afraid to ask the healer to check for a pulse.

Hanyu finished throwing together his wild cocktail of herbs and flash-boiled the mixture. A light lavender liquid remained in the potion bottle.

The healer gently cut open Keran’s already mangled shirt and peeled the fabric back to assess the damage. The three of them collectively gasped.

Keran’s shoulder had become completely black, the patch of skin around the wound was beginning to shrivel, as if the guard was having the very life sucked out of her. She looked more like a burnt piece of firewood rather than a human.

Hanyu hurriedly poured the potion over the bite wounds, the liquid bubbling as it hit Keran’s bare skin.

The thin tendrils of black that had been spreading across Keran’s body halted in their tracks. She gave a weak and shuddering breath, but did not regain consciousness.

“This won’t hold,” Hanyu warned. “I’m going to talk to Shiyuan.”

All Keran saw was brightness.

She tried to squint her eyes, then realized they were shut.

She blinked them open.

She recognized that she was in a hospital ward, the afternoon light glaring through a nearby window. Keran groaned and tried to sit up.

Blinding pain raced up her spine and she flopped back down with a ragged gasp.

Running footsteps towards her. Shiyuan’s face swam into view above Keran.

“Ah good, you’re awake. Let’s try to keep the movement to a minimum for the rest of the day. The antidote hasn’t completely expelled all the venom yet, and it’ll take a few weeks for you to fully recover.”

Keran nodded and opened her mouth to speak. But her throat was like a desert and only managed a dry rasp. Shiyuan passed her a glass of water and helped her sit up. She drank gratefully.

“Lin Fan?” she asked, voice still weak.

Shiyuan’s brows furrowed. “Who?”

The door flew open.

“Idiot, good to see you’re alive.”

Keran rolled her eyes and smiled.

“Good to see you’re alive too, Yuxin.”

Suddenly, they were hugging and Keran felt the tears spring to her eyes. When was the last time they embraced? It felt like an eternity. She hadn’t realized how much she missed her best friend until now.

“I can’t believe you did that,” Yuxin said when they pulled away.

Keran wiped her eyes and sniffed, “Of course I did. I’m Lu Keran, ain’t a thing under the sun I couldn’t do and wouldn’t do for you.”

Then Keran choked, “You almost were gone. We were so scared.”

The corners of Yuxin’s lips turned up in a ghost of a smile and she gently wiped away Keran’s tears. “You could’ve died too, idiot.”

“But I didn’t.”

“You didn’t. And I’m glad.”

They both smiled.

When he heard Keran was awake, Wenhan immediately abandoned the meeting he was in and rushed towards the hospital wing. He veered around a corner and nearly mowed over Lin Fan.

The mercenary stumbled back, sputtering out a weak curse. Wenhan reached to steady her.

“Lin Fan.”

She dipped her head in rigid politeness.

“Your Majesty.”

“Are you not going to see Keran?”

Lin Fan flinched at the guard’s name. Hm.

“I have to get back to base as soon as possible. Things have gotten a bit messy with me gone and Lin Mo out. If you’ll excuse me.”

She bowed and left, limbs stiffly (stubbornly) marching her away from the hospital wing.

A few days dragged by. Keran was forced to remain in bed rest. And she passed most of the hours, staring up at the ceiling, wondering when Lin Fan would come visit her.

Sure, they had their...little disagreement on the mountain that day. But Lin Fan had come back just in time to bring Keran back home.

Home.

Keran felt foreign, enclosed in the walls of the palace she’d practically grown up in. Was this what home was supposed to feel like?

As she lay there, Keran thought about the witch, the fox, and even the serpent just sitting around waiting for the next person to come along. So lonely and isolated.

Keran wondered if the witch was still there, unaware that she didn’t have anything left to guard. And would just stay waiting until the end of time for someone to come along and wake her stone lion.

Then, Keran considered her own future (always a scary thought).

She supposed she’d be married to some foreign official or fancy noble and be sent to live with them. What if she married someone who wouldn’t let her continue to be a guard? She felt herself tense at the possibility. Keran couldn’t imagine subjecting herself to domestic deeds like sewing frills all day. And she was absolutely hopeless at cooking.

Would she too, sit around all day, just waiting for someone to come home?

The door opened and Shiyuan stuck his head in.

Keran turned her head to the side and squinted at him.

Shiyuan walked in, “Let’s take a look at your vitals.”

The healer helped her sit up. He checked Keran’s pulse and a few other things.

“You’re healing up nicely. You are hereby officially off bed rest, but no physical activities for at least another week.”

Great, so no training.

“There is one other thing.”

Shiyuan placed something small on Keran’s bedside table. Upon closer inspection, Keran realized it was a sliver of the ancient ginseng they had retrieved.

“So…?”

“Ms. Liu has been healed and so have you. The only question now is what to do with the leftovers.”

Keran furrowed her eyebrows. “Shouldn’t you be asking Wenhan this? Also, shouldn’t we save it for the next serpent victim?”

Shiyuan shook his head, “I’ve already inspected the root to see if I could replicate its properties. But it’s so old and being shut away all those centuries, shielded from the elements, has put a bit of an expiration date since it’s out in the open now. It’s too risky to save or preserve, and it definitely shouldn't go to waste. Wenhan said it was your call to make, since you headed the quest.”

Keran chewed her lip and tried to think of someone who could really use it. Someone else with a near incurable condition. Shiyuan scratched his wrist and the dark ink decorated the pale skin tracing down his arm momentarily distracted Keran from her thoughts.

“There are hardly any limits to what this tiny piece of ginseng can do,” Shiyuan further explained. “It acts like an amplifier, enhancing any common medication that exists. With this, you can basically cure anything.”

“Even someone in a coma?” Keran asked, eyes fixed on the faded scorpion tattooed on the edge of the healer’s hand.

Shiyuan smiled slightly, “I was hoping you would say that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to clarify, Shiyuan is no longer a mercenary since he works in the palace now. Under Wenhan's request, he replaced the previous healer shortly after the death of the king. The previous healer was executed, in case you were wondering (but more on that down the line). Shiyuan accepted the post at the palace because it was well supplied and better funded over there, which would allow him to find a cure for Lin Mo faster (something both he and Wenhan wanted). However, he will not be returning to being a mercenary even after Lin Mo has woken.


	15. Memory Log #7 - For the Love of God

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Sometimes they just need a little push._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's like 2(?) chapters left I think...

After Lin Mo woke up, Lin Fan spent the next few days in a haze, doing trivial tasks around the base. Lin Mo, already cranky from bed rest instructed by the healers, quickly became fed up with her constant dawdling and demanded she fetch Wenxuan to take over caring for him.

“I want you to go back to the palace.”

Lin Fan rolled her eyes.

“Anything but that. Lin Mo, I’d do anything for you but that.”

The man pinched the bridge of his nose with frustration.

“Just go and get some closure for heaven’s sake. You’re no good to me, anyone here, and most importantly, yourself when you’re in this state of mind.”

“I don’t need closure! I have all the answers I need.” Her hands tightened into fists.

It wasn’t like Lin Fan hadn’t considered going back to see Keran (every. single. day). But then the image of Keran and Yuxin wrapped tightly around one another in the hospital room would resurface, and Lin Fan would go back to sulking.

“Lin Mo, I left her to die.”

Lin Mo groaned and lit a cigarette, taking a long drag.

“You were poisoned, she’ll forgive you.”

Lin Fan thought guiltily about the growing stack of letters from Keran hidden under her pillow. _She already has._

“There’s no reason to go-”

Lin Mo held up his free hand to cut her off, and flicked the cigarette butt carelessly onto the floor with his other hand.

“There’s a few thank you gifts I’d like you to deliver to Wenhan and Shiyuan.”

Lin Fan scoffed. “Thank you gifts, my foot! You guys are all buddies!”

“A token of my gratitude!” Lin Mo protested. “What? A man can’t give his pals something nice every once in a while? Plus, Wenhan’s about to be coronated.”

Lin Fan huffed and pouted like a toddler. And finally Lin Mo grew impatient.

“Lin Fan, you will go to the castle whether you like it or not.”

Lin Fan glared at her leader. Lin Mo responded with a dull-eyed stare of his own.

“Is that an order?” she managed to grind out.

“You bet your pretty, new comb it is an order.”

Lin Fan scowled and left to pack her bags.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops, I was supposed to post this short chapter last night.  
> But I've been getting into Valorant lately and it's so fun (even if I suck a$$ at it).  
> I've also been prepping the next story in the series so there won't be a super long wait after this one finishes.


	16. Loose Ends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Everything falls into place._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yes, here it comes.  
> Are you guys ready?

Lin Fan stared at the door.

The door waited to be opened, its shiny handle calling out for Lin Fan.

Maybe this was a mistake.

Maybe Keran wouldn’t want to see her.

Maybe she should just go back to the base.

Lin Fan started at the sound of the door swinging open. A handsome healer emerged and stiffened with surprise when he saw her standing there.

He had a peculiar tool belt wrapped around his waist and another crossing his chest filled with various potions and herbs sticking haphazardly out of the pockets.

"Are you Lin Fan?" Shiyuan asked, his voice was soothingly deep.

Lin Fan nodded mutely and briefly wondered if it was part of the job description for all the healers of the West Kingdom to have deep voices.

Shiyuan let out a frustrated exhale and plopped down onto the waiting bench next to the door. He impatiently motioned for her to take a seat next to him.

"You know, I'm beginning to think Keran got another injury in addition to being poisoned."

"Really? Where?" Another one? Since when? Was it when she’d practically left Keran to die? God, she was such an idiot for doing that.

Shiyuan looked Lin Fan directly in the eyes, forehead wrinkling.

The healer tapped the side of his head, "In her brain! Goddammit, she's the one who's injured but she kept asking 'Where's Lin Fan? Is Lin Fan ok? She didn't get hurt did she?' It was always these few questions whenever someone visited her."

Lin Fan looked down at her hands, feeling guilty. "I...didn't think she would want to see me."

Shiyuan pinched the space between his brows. "Pray tell why you’d think that? Everyday she wrote to you with no response. When she was too weak to even lift a pen herself, she begged me or Yuxin, and once even Wenhan to help her write. Can’t you see that she-” Someone hollered for Shiyuan down the hall.

“Hold that thought.” Shiyuan said with a long suffering sigh. “Just relieve Keran of her misery already, she's been waiting."

With that, the healer slunk off. Lin Fan stood in front of the closed door for a few more minutes, silently willing herself to pluck up the nerve to enter.

Keran stood out on the balcony connected to her hospital ward, flipping Lin Fan's lighter in her hand open and close. As she studied the tiny flame flicker in the morning breeze, Keran wondered again why Lin Fan hadn't visited her.

She was glad Shiyuan had left the room though, the doc would have a fit if he caught Keran smoking.

Keran grinned a little at the thought of Shiyuan having a meltdown and flicked the lighter open once more before putting it to the end of the cigarette balanced between her lips.

Keran tried not to cough from the ashy taste and questioned why she thought this was a good idea. She took another drag. Her neck ached in reminder of her injury.

"You know a wise man once told me not to smoke because it’s bad for you."

Keran whirled around at the familiar voice.

And there she was, smiling her beautiful smile.

Keran choked on the smoke she was exhaling and wondered what she must look like; loose linens, unkempt hair, and sickly skin. Keran turned back around to face the palace grounds.

“First of all, I’m not a man.” She took another drag. This was disgusting.

"And I wouldn’t call myself wise," Keran continued. "Plus, I was thinking."

Lin Fan joined her at the railing of the balcony, and Keran tried to keep her sanity in check at the feeling of their arms brushing against each other.

"About what? The quest? The prince? Yuxin?"

Keran was silent for a moment, and they watched as Huaiwei attempted to chat up Hanyu in the herb garden.

"You. I was thinking about you."

They quietly stared at each other for a few moments.

"What a coincidence, I was thinking about you too." Lin Fan plucked the cigarette from between Keran’s lips and placed it between her own, taking a drag.

Almost immediately, Lin Fan hacked violently, cigarette smoke coming out in short puffs like she was a steam engine.

“God, this is- this is vile. How did I do this before?”

She dropped the cigarette and snuffed it out with her boot.

There was another beat of silence.

“I missed you,” Keran blurted.

Lin Fan scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

“Yeah. I missed you too, Princess.”

Lin Fan held her arms open (this too, was done awkwardly).

Keran threw herself into Lin Fan’s embrace, tightening her own arms around the mercenary’s strong torso, clinging on for dear life.

She felt Lin Fan stroking her hair gently, saying she was sorry and she should’ve come to see Keran earlier. But the guard was just glad that Lin Fan was here and they were together again.

Lin Fan pulled away, Keran held on tightly as if afraid she'd disappear.

Their faces were close. So close. Keran’s brain was short circuiting at the sensation of Lin Fan’s light breath fanning against her lips.

“Your breath absolutely _reeks_ ,” Keran whispered.

“Yours is no flower garden either.” Lin Fan held Keran’s waist and some gremlin lurking in the corner of the guard’s mind shrieked with delight.

Keran willed herself to loop her arms around Lin Fan’s neck. The gremlin hooted and cheered her on.

She hovered yet closer.

“Don’t smoke anymore.”

“I won’t, Princess.”

Closer still.

“Don’t leave me again,” Keran whispered and their lips brushed ever so slightly at the movement.

“I won’t.”

Then, there was no space between them. Faces pressed together, air stolen right out of each other’s lungs, and fingers tangling themselves in someone else’s hair.

“What. The. Fxxx.”

The pair leapt apart at the sound of Shiyuan’s voice and immediately scuttled to opposite ends of the balcony.

However, Shiyuan’s focus was not on either of them.

“Is that a fxxxing cigarette I see on my floor!?”

After another week or so, Keran made full recovery with Lin Fan staying at the castle per her request.

It was bittersweet to see Keran back in her formal guard clothes. Though it meant she had recovered from her wounds, the small medals on her shirt that jangled whenever she moved served as a reminder that she belonged to a different system, a separate world.

“Can’t you stay? Even just for a few more days?” Keran pouted as she clung to Lin Fan’s arm, swinging it back and forth between them. She had certainly grown less shy over the last few days, and Lin Fan hadn’t decided whether that was a good thing or a bad thing yet.

Lin Fan was going _back_ to the base. She _was_ going back. She was _not_ going to stay another week. She reminded herself of this over and over.

“Lin Mo is still recovering from his coma and there are a lot of things he needs me to attend to with the crew.”

Keran played with Lin Fan’s fingers. Lin Fan reminded herself not to go weak. Lin Mo really needed her to be there right now. She gently pulled her hand away from Keran’s.

The guard frowned slightly and quickly wrapped her arms around Lin Fan’s waist in a stubborn embrace. Lin Fan gulped. Fxxx. Abort mission.

“You said you wouldn’t leave me.”

Lin Fan couldn’t figure out where they stood. She knew they were undeniably fond of one another (and that was putting it lightly). But since the quest was over, it was hard to say when they would meet again was as their work lay on opposite ends of the spectrum.

She knew this. Keran knew this. So why was she trying to make this even more torturous for the both of them?

“Lu Keran,” Lin Fan said, gaze fixed on the guard’s face. “You confuse me.”

Keran pulled back slightly and began to smooth out the collar of Lin Fan’s shirt.

“How so?”

Lin Fan squirmed on the spot and tried to think of a proper way to approach the topic.

“Well...I just- how do you feel about me?” she managed to get out. The question was phrased ungracefully.

“Oh,” Keran said without looking up. “I thought I made myself clear the other day.”

Lin Fan felt heat rush to her cheeks at the mention of their kiss on the balcony. That wasn’t what she meant to ask. She obviously knew how Keran felt about her.

Keran sighed and finally met Lin Fan’s eyes, praying her ears weren’t as red as they felt. She knew what Lin Fan meant to ask.

 _A grand gesture of love_ , Keran’s brain reminded her.

“Lin Fan,” she said and placed a hand on the mercenary’s shoulder. “If you want me to go with you…”

Keran traced her hand down Lin Fan’s arm and grasped the mercenary’s hand firmly in hers.

Their eyes met.

“Just say the words and I’ll leave with you.”

Lin Fan laughed awkwardly, temporarily breaking eye contact.

“How can I ask that of you? Your best friends, your work, your whole life is here.”

Keran stepped closer, looping her arms around Lin Fan’s neck.

“But you’re not here,” Keran replied quietly.

“I have a duty to my kingdom, which I have fulfilled.”

Lin Fan gulped at their close proximity and Keran continued.

“But I also have a duty to you too, as your lover.”

Ah, so that answered all questions then.

Lin Fan felt ready to combust from the heat in her face as Keran pressed even closer and allowed their lips to meld together briefly.

Keran stepped back, medals tinkling and all, smiling.

“Send me a message once things clear up.”

And with that, Keran returned to her duties in the palace.

Lin Fan took a deep breath, squatted down, and buried her burning face between her knees, trying not to scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last official chapter of Adventure Time!  
> Only one more memory log and an epilogue left...  
> Kinda sad it's coming to an end, but honestly it's been so much fun


	17. Memory Log #8 - Keran’s Last Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Out with the old, in with the new_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out one of the finale songs from QCYN.  
> It's called [The Last Day](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nEaUiYjDcE)  
> which doesn't really have anything to do with the chapter other than the fact that the song name is similar to the chapter title  
> But you can see some of the boys who have already appeared or will appear in the West Kingdom series.

Keran was careful to wait until _after_ Wenhan’s coronation to tell him her decision. Then, she stalled a few more days for Wenhan’s new level of stressing to calm down.

Wenhan was pacing in front of his throne, muttering something to himself while the shiny crown on his head stood askew. Keran cleared her throat awkwardly.

“So…” Keran fidgeted. “Lin Fan and I…”

Wenhan sighed, “So no more Kexin?”

“No more- I’m sorry, what?”

The king waved dismissively. “I don’t think that’s the only thing you had to tell me.”

Keran fidgeted more. “Ah, well...I’m officially resigning from my post as head guard.”

Wenhan stiffened.

“And I’m leaving the palace, if that wasn’t clear…” she trailed off slightly.

“Are you crazy?”

Keran breathed a deep sigh of relief, he didn’t sound _too_ upset.

“Only crazy for her, your highness.”

There was a brief pause of silence. Then.

“What the hell, Keran! Now I owe that spitwad Sijian $50!”

“Wenhan, you’re a king,” Keran deadpanned. “$50 is nothing.”

She furrowed her brow.

“And did you seriously take a bet with Sijian, the all-knowing and all-seeing seer?”

“That’s beyond the point!” Wenhan huffed and resumed his pacing.

“It’s about my pride. Tarnished! My ship? Sunk!” He wrung his hands dramatically at every word.

He stopped and his voice got quiet. “I can’t believe it’s happening though. It’s gonna be crazy not seeing your dumb face everyday.”

Keran’s heart hurt a bit at the thought of being away from them. This was her family. And she was leaving them.

Wenhan sighed and adjusted his crown. “Remember to choose someone to replace you as head guard. None will do as well as you, but I trust your judgement.”

Though Wehan didn’t say it out loud, Keran knew he was pained by the thought of her leaving as well. It was so sad, it was almost funny. Keran, Wenhan, and Yuxin cared so much for one another, yet did so poorly at expressing it.

“Your highness?”

“Yes peasant?”

Keran giggled and let the tears roll freely down her cheeks.

“Just...” she still couldn’t find the words. “Thank you, I guess.”

Then again, some things were beyond words.

Wenhan sniffled.

“Lu Keran, this is the worst thing you’ve ever done to me.”

Then, he enveloped her in a hug.

The next few days passed quietly, and soon Keran was making her way to the hospital wing for her final check-up with Shiyuan.

Afterwards, she wandered aimlessly through the halls. Popping into certain rooms to say goodbye to a few friends.

Hanyu didn’t say much, just frowned slightly and gave her a box of healing potions. So Keran knew he cared. Sijian wailed like the drama queen he was and told her to visit often, but was (obviously) unsurprised about her decision.

She tread slowly through the familiar halls, taking in everything; the embroidered curtains over the windows, the polished marble floors, the crystal chandeliers dangling from the high arched ceilings of the palace.

Everything became so beautiful once you were about to let it go.

Keran eventually wandered into the throne room. Wenhan was already inside, dozing off on the brilliantly gilded throne.

He awoke when Keran entered, and scooted to one side of the throne. He patted the small spot beside him, a universal sign for Keran to come sit.

She hesitated. Was this even allowed? Wenhan seemed to sense her apprehension.

“Oh come on, I’m the king. I call the shots. Come sit.”

Keran squeezed onto the throne next to Wenhan and leaned against the backrest. It was cold as the entire throne was made of precious metals and the seat was hard. Her butt was quite uncomfy in this fancy chair.

Keran grimaced, and Wenhan grinned.

“The throne looks pretty cool, but it’s not the most comfortable, am I right?” He stretched his arms up over his head. “Much like being king,” he quietly muttered.

Both of them sighed simultaneously, Keran rested her head onto Wenhan’s shoulder. They sat in idle silence.

Yuxin poked her head into the room and knocked on the doorframe to get their attention.

“Got room for one more?”

Before they could answer, Yuxin ran up to the throne and threw herself across their laps. Wenhan and Keran, already squished tightly together, groaned at the additional weight.

And suddenly, they were all giggling like they were just a bunch of teens again.

Keran would miss them sorely.

That night Keran packed her sparse personal belongings, her favorite weapons (Wenhan gifted her a new pistol without a royal crest), and the few sets of clothing she owned that weren’t uniforms.

Despite living in the palace for nearly 10 years, everything Keran took with her fit into an ordinary and moderately-sized bag. Keran felt tiny. It made her chest feel stuffy, as if all the things she’d experienced over the past decade were crammed into the bag as well.

Not quite sad, but there was a sense of conclusion. Like the final period at the end of a paragraph at the end of a chapter.

She changed into her pajamas and neatly hung her uniform up in the wardrobe, never to be worn again.

That night Keran dreamt of what the future would bring.

Wenhan and Yuxin both saw Keran off early the next day. When the sun broke the horizon to begin the new day, Keran left the palace grounds to begin a new life.

Wenhan dusted his pajamas off. “Perhaps it’s time I get married,” he said sleepily and padded back inside the castle.

Yuxin chuckled and lingered to watch the sunrise a bit.

“Indeed,” she whispered to herself. “Perhaps it’s time for me as well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, it's really been such a journey with this fic. I've never wrote something this long before and I'll talk more about this next week when I post the epilogue. But for future fics, random ideas, or just casual fangorl stuff I'm on Twitter [@vegetablebirb](https://twitter.com/vegetablebirb), swing by 🌻


	18. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The end and the beginning..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whelp, here it is, this is it  
> i'll be back soon~

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon. Keran and Lin Fan had just finished their patrol shifts and were busy playing tonsil-hockey in their room when Wenxuan decided to rudely interrupt.

The door was thrown open with a loud clang. The couple broke apart.

“Geez, get a room you two.”

Keran rolled her eyes and peeled herself off of her girlfriend.

“We _are_ in a room, kid. Now what do you want?”

“Is Lin Mo around?” Wenxuan asked, a shy smile finding its way onto his face when he mentioned the man’s name.

Lin Fan took Wenxuan by the shoulders and guided him out of the room.

“He’s in the workshop sharpening his knives.”

“Again?” Wenxuan asked incredulously. Lin Fan shrugged, their leader was not a man of many hobbies.

“Perhaps you can interest him in some other activities,” Lin Fan replied, wiggling her eyebrows and then shut the door in Wenxuan’s face.

Lin Fan sighed and seated herself in the chair next to the window. Keran quickly followed by plopping down onto her lap.

The mercenary smiled and looped her arms around Keran’s waist. Lin Fan lifted her hand and tucked a stray piece of hair behind Keran’s ear.

“Your hair is getting long,” Lin Fan observed.

Keran ran an absent hand through her locks, and the strands tickled her chin. She hummed thoughtfully, “Should I cut it then?”

Lin Fan held her slight body closer, leaning her head against Keran’s shoulder and sighed with content.

“Cut it if you want. Don’t cut it if you wish to grow it out. Either way you’re lovely, Princess.”

And she was. Keran looked radiant with the late afternoon light streaming through the window. The glow caught in her hair, shined off her cheeks, and reflected in her eyes. It was as if the sun had poured itself into her to bring light into Lin Fan’s life.

“You sure know how to talk, don’t you?” Keran said, gently tracing Lin Fan’s jaw with her hand. Her girlfriend was real pretty.

Lin Fan closed her eyes and tilted her face up expectantly.

Keran rolled her eyes but leaned in nonetheless, pressing a light kiss to Lin Fan’s cheek.

The mercenary cracked open her eyes. When Keran made no indication of continuing, Lin Fan opened her mouth to whine. That’s when Keran covered the mercenary’s lips with her own, swallowing up her protests.

Kissing Lin Fan was like flying a kite. A soaring sensation would fill Keran’s lungs. Going up, up, up. Past the point of return. And reaching higher still.

Lin Fan sighed breathily into the shared air between them and Keran couldn’t help but let her fingers lightly comb through the mercenary’s hair before letting their lips meet once more.

After a while, they pulled apart. The two giggled tipsily, drunk on happiness.

Lin Fan’s hand brushed against something rough as she moved to pull Keran’s face back down. She startled and drew back. A sizable piece of gauze was stuck to Keran’s neck, right over the area the serpent had bitten her.

Lin Fan’s heart leapt to her throat.

“What happened to your neck? I thought all the poison had gone out? Should we go to the castle to see the healers? Or did it just get infected?”

Lin Fan rattled off nervous questions. Keran laughed, “It’s fine. Nothing’s wrong with it.”

“So you just have that big honking thing on for fun? I don’t buy it.”

And before Keran could react, Lin Fan tugged on the gauze and it fell away.

Lin Fan blinked.

Twice.

Then blinked rapidly.

Just to make sure she wasn’t seeing things.

The tattoo was done right between the puncture wound scars the serpent had left behind. The skin was still a bit swollen, but the shape of the scorpion was distinct nonetheless.

Lin Fan was slack-jawed in shock. She believed Keran when she said she was committed to their relationship (which was moving along quite swimmingly), but Lin Fan still hadn’t even fully processed Keran giving up her post at the castle quite yet.

“Ugh, it was supposed to be a surprise.” Keran pouted and then pressed a light kiss to the side of Lin Fan’s jaw. “So how about it? I’m one of you now.”

_“And they lived happily ever after,” Chen Sijian finished._

_He slammed the large, ancient looking book he had open across his lap shut. Yao Mingming squinted dubiously at it._

_“You wrote an entire book out of their story?” Mingming asked._

_Sijian scoffed, “I could write an entire series! The spirits have told me lots of juicy details.”_

_Mingming rolled his eyes at the seer’s dramatics. He was fairly certain the book had been a prop as it had been upside down the entire time Sijian was narrating the story._

_“So you’re telling me all of this because…”_

_“Oh yes, right. It was all to explain why Keran left her post for you to fill.”_

_Mingming raised his eyebrows._

_“You made me sit through two hours of that to tell me I got a promotion?”_

_Sijian just shrugged. “I can try reading your romantic future now too, since we’re here.”_

_Mingming rolled his eyes._

_“Come on, just humor me.”_

_The guard sighed._

_“Fine.”_

_Mingming placed his hands into Sijian’s outstretched ones._

_Sijian’s eyes didn’t even cloud over._

_“You shall fall deeply in love with the next person you arrest.”_

_“Seriously?”_

_“So don’t go catching just any criminals, Head Guard. Choose wisely~”_

_Mingming stood and left the room with one last eyeroll._

_Sijian giggled. Things were only beginning to get interesting in the West Kingdom._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hot dam, what a journey it's been with this fic.  
> I've never finished such a massive fic and such a long-term project.  
> I actually started writing this fic around this time last summer. So many things have changed since the "incubation" stage of the idea. Originally, Adventure Time was written to be a QCYN (MxM) fic. Then, school started and some drama happened that made me think I wouldn't be able to publish the fic without scrapping most of what I already drafted. So I was ready to let the whole thing rot in my archives lol.  
> Then spring semester rolled around and QCYN2 began airing. I grew so attached to some of the trainees and I thought - what the heck. And switched out the characters for the current ones. I scrapped what I needed to (which was a lot), and typed like crazy. I think the only scene that really stayed pretty much the same from my og drafts was Sijian going seer mode at the beginning of the fic.  
> I feel like I've truly learned a lot through working on this fic and I'm so grateful for everyone who read it and left comments/kudos. Without you guys, I wouldn't have had the confidence to keep writing and posting. So thank you~ And let's look forward to future works together!  
> ~ iwi 🌻


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